The worrying return of non-crime hate incidents

The longer it continues in office, the more reactionary and beholden to vested interests this government turns out to be. So far it has surrendered to the establishment on immigration, on the EU, and on higher education (blocking any awkward notions of making administrators respect free speech). Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, now appears to believe it is the police establishment’s turn to be appeased: witness the reports this week about the recording of non-crime hate incidents, or NCHIs.

Until about three years ago, NCHIs were recorded by the police in vast numbers, largely against people who spoke out of turn online, however lawfully, and had a complaint made against them. These notes were not disclosed to the subject, were kept on police records indefinitely and on occasion disclosed to potential employers and others seeking enhanced criminal records checks. 

All that was needed, according to guidance from the College of Policing, was behaviour perceived by a victim, or anyone else, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice to a given group.