Herts fights disability hate crime

Mencap’s ‘Stand by me’ campaign is the focus of this Learning Disability Week (June 20 to 26) which is calling for police to do more to tackle the offence and to help ensure people with a learning difficulty can live their lives free from the fear of oppression.

People with learning disabilities joined county councillors and representatives from Mencap, Herts Constabulary, Victim Support and other organisations, including Herts County Council’s Learning Disability Partnership Board hate crime working group, to confirm their commitment to working together to end hate crime at County Hall yesterday (Wednesday, June 22).

Cllr Colette Wyatt-Lowe, executive member for health and adult care, opened the event. She said: “Sadly, we know that all too often people with a learning disability become the victims of crime because of their disability. Mencap is working with all kinds of organisations, like us in the county council, to raise people’s awareness of this issue, to help people understand more about hate crime and how to stop it."

David Congdon, Mencap’s head of campaigns and policy, said: "We welcome Herts Constabulary's commitment to constantly strive to uphold these standards and help end disability hate crime in a generation. Many police services are doing good work, and their response is getting better. Other services are still failing to support victims of disability hate crime. Through the ‘Stand by me' campaign we want to make sure that all police services are following the example set by the best services."

Confidence and quality Chief Inspector Geoff Camp at Herts Constabulary said: “We are committed to reducing the harm disability hate crime causes to victims and their families and support this campaign wholeheartedly.

“Officers are specifically trained to deal sensitively with victims of these serious and very personal crimes. In addition, we have specialist hate crime officers who review all such crimes and who can provide support for victims and the investigative process."

He added: “It is vitally important that incidents of hate crime are reported so that appropriate action can be taken. In an emergency the police can be contacted via 999 or in other circumstances on 0845 33 00 222. However, we are conscious that sometimes victims need guidance and help to report such issues, things that Hertfordshire’s People In Partnership and Keep Safe projects seek to support.

Hertfordshire County Council buys £7300 of Olympics tickets (From ...

Hertfordshire County Council has bought more than £7,000 worth of Olympics tickets made available to it as a host authority of the London 2012 games.

The authority, which is hosting events at the Lea Valley White Water Centre, in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, was offered the tickets without needing to enter the public ballot.

The council, though, did have to fork out £6,575 for 100 tickets to canoe and kayak events at the centre, and a further £750 for five tickets to the opening ceremony.

The council says it plans to give away the tickets to young people in foster care and children's homes in the county.

Some will also be made available to young carers, under the age of 18, who are recognised by the authority as caring for dependent family members.

Paul Woodmansey, a spokesperson for the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG), said: "There are no free tickets - it is the same across the board, even for sponsors. Allocations are made for people from different groups to buy them but none are given away."

Executive member for children's services at Hertfordshire County Council, Richard Roberts, said: "Right from the start, we were determined that, if we were lucky enough to get hold of these tickets, they should not be given to councillors or employees, but should be used to inspire some of the county's special children.

"We are still working on the fairest way to share out the tickets to these children as we want to make sure that lots of children share in the county's history.

Hertfordshire County Council, Town and Country Planning Act, 1947. Preliminary outline development plan; explanatory statement

The Law journal reports

Legal Cases For Teachers

Stansted Airport public inquiry, Proof of evidence of T. Davies: Hertfordshire County Council

Hertford County Records