Priti Patel has called for police to stop recording “non-crime hate incidents” incidents in order to free up more time to focus on criminal conductPriti Patel will warn police to do more to protect freedom of speech after judges ruled that recording “non-crime hate incidents” risked interfering with people’s right to express their opinions. The home secretary will try to enshrine in law a new code of practice that controls the way officers record such incidents after Harry Miller, a former PC, won a court battle over his right to tweet about transgender issues. SponsoredPolice guidance had described non-crime hate incidents as when a victim, or anyone else, perceived prejudice “because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or because they are transgender”. The guidance will have to be redrawn after Dame Victoria Sharp, one of England’s most senior judges, said that it did nothing to exclude “irrational

Source: The Times December 22, 2021 13:44 UTC