Avon and Somerset Police and Gloucestershrie Constabulary have recorded rising numbers of hate-crime offences in the last three years. The offences include antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes.
Avon and Somerset Police recorded over double the number of religious hate crime when compared to figures from 2022. Gloucestershire Constabulary also recorded a rise in the number of anitsemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes reported since September 2021.
Systems and methods of recording hate crime offences are not consistent across all police forces, so the data provided cannot directly compare the volume of offences between different areas or provide an overall total for the whole of England.
However, the figures have been obtained by the PA news agency from Freedom of Information requests sent to all forces in England. The data is a snapshot of what has currently been recorded by forces and may be subject to change. All figures are for crimes recorded by police forces, not incidents. The three consecutive 12-month periods end September 2022, September 2023 and September 2024.
Avon and Somerset Police provided data for crimes with a hate flag of “Anti-Jewish” and “Anti-Muslim.” It added that some crimes can be flagged with more than one flag.
From October 2021 to September 2022, Avon and Somerset Police recorded 85 offences, 27 being antisemetic and 58 being Islamophobic. Between October 20233 to September 2023, 98 offences were recorded, 41 being antisemetic and 57 being Islamophobic, and between October 2023 and September 2024, there were 171 offences, 59 being antisemtic and 112 being Islamophobic.
The number of hate crimes reported by Avon and Somerset Police within their own force has been broken down to month to month figures, from January to September, for the year 2024.
January: 10 offences; three antisemetic and seven Islamophobic
February: 11 offences; four antisemitic and seven Islamophobic
March: 12 offences; four antisemitic and eight Islamophobic
April: 13 offences; two antisemitic and 11 Islamophobic
May: 14 offences; six antisemtic and eight Islamophobic
June: 13 offences; three antisemitic and 10 Islamophobic
July: 11 offences; three antisemitic and eight Islamophobic
August: 25 offences, seven antisemitic and 18 Islamophobic
September: 14 offences; two antisemitic and 12 Islamophobic
Riots and mass disorder broke out across the UK after the knife attack at a Southport dance studio on July 29, 2024, which left three young girls dead. A number of anti-immigration riots followed up and down the country during the start of August.
In Bristol, a total of 36 people have been sentenced for their involvement on the disorder in Castle Park on August 3, 2024. Avon and Somerset Police has said custodial sentences totalling more than 50 years have been handed down.
A full break down of the reported offences within Avon and Somerset Police are below:
Antisemitic: Oct 2021-Sep 2022 27; Oct 2022-Sep 2023 41; Oct 2023-Sep 2024 59.
Islamophobic: Oct 2021-Sep 2022 58; Oct 2022-Sep 2023 57; Oct 2023-Sep 2024 112.
Antisemitic: 2023 Jan 3; Feb 5; Mar 5; Apr 1; May 3; Jun 4; Jul 4; Aug 3; Sep 2; Oct 10; Nov 5; Dec 10. 2024 Jan 3; Feb 4; Mar 4; Apr 2; May 6; Jun 3; Jul 3; Aug 7; Sep 2.
Islamophobic: 2023 Jan 4; Feb 3; Mar 9; Apr 9; May 7; Jun 4; Jul 5; Aug 5; Sep 3; Oct 4; Nov 14; Dec 5. 2024 Jan 7; Feb 7; Mar 8; Apr 11; May 8; Jun 10; Jul 8; Aug 18; Sep 12.
Gloucestershire Police said the figures provided were for offences recorded as a religious hate crime under the “Religion – Muslim” and “Religion – Jewish” hate strands.
From October 2021 to September 2022, 44 offences were reported, 21 being antisemitic and 23 being Islamophobic. Between October 2022 to September 2023, there were 31 offences, nine antisemitic and 22 Islamophobic, and between October 2023 and September 2024 here were 53, of which 26 were antisemitic and 27 were Islamophobic.
The number of hate crimes reported by Gloucestershire Police within their own force has been broken down to month to month figures, from January to September, for the year 2024.
January: Three offences; one antisemetic and two Islamophobic
February: Seven offences; five antisemitic and two Islamophobic
March: Two offences; zero antisemitic and two Islamophobic
April: Six offences; three antisemitic and three Islamophobic
May: Five offences; three antisemtic and two Islamophobic
June: Three offences; one antisemitic and two Islamophobic
July: Five offences; three antisemitic and two Islamophobic
August: Five offences, two antisemitic and three Islamophobic
September: One offences; zero antisemitic and one Islamophobic
A full break down of the reported offences within Gloucestershire Police are below:
Antisemitic:
Oct 2021-Sep 2022: 21
Oct 2022-Sep 2023: 9
Oct 2023-Sep 2024: 26
Islamophobic:
Oct 2021-Sep 2022: 23
Oct 2022-Sep 2023: 22
Oct 2023-Sep 2024: 27
The monthly breakdown for reported antisemitic hate crimes in Gloucestershire is as follows: 2023 Jan 0; Feb 2; Mar 0; Apr 1; May 1; Jun 1; Jul 1; Aug 0; Sep 0; Oct 3; Nov 2; Dec 3. 2024 Jan 1; Feb 5; Mar 0; Apr 3; May 3; Jun 1; Jul 3; Aug 2; Sep 0.
The monthly breakdown for reported Islamophobic hate crimes is as follows: 2023 Jan 2; Feb 1; Mar 2; Apr 0; May 2; Jun 3; Jul 4; Aug 2; Sep 4; Oct 3; Nov 2; Dec 3. 2024 Jan 2; Feb 2; Mar 2; Apr 3; May 2; Jun 2; Jul 2; Aug 3; Sep 1.