Call 999 to report a crime that is in progress or if someone is in immediate danger. For non-emergencies, call 101.
You can report a hate crime to Surrey Police using their online form.
Report hate crime - Surrey Police
You can also call CrimeStoppers anonymously to report a hate crime.
Telephone: 0800 555 111
You can also report hate crime and get confidential support through independent services such as Stop Hate UK.
For other types of crime, find out how to report crime .
What counts as a hate crime
Hate crimes are any crimes that are targeted because of a hostility or prejudice toward your:
- disability
- race or ethnicity
- religion or belief
- sexual orientation
- transgender identity
- alternative subculture identity (for example goth, emo or punk)
Offences can be committed against a person or property.
You can be a victim of hate crime even if the person committing the crime targets you by mistake.
A victim does not have to be a member of the group at which the hostility is targeted. Anyone could be a victim of a hate crime.
Some behaviour may be a hate incident rather than a crime.
A hate incident is behaviour that is perceived to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, but may not be a criminal offence. It is still important to report hate incidents, as they can escalate or form part of a pattern.
Hate crime can affect individuals and the wider community.
We are committed to preventing all types of hate crime and supporting the victims of crime.
Find out more about hate crime - Healthy Surrey .
What happens after you report hate crime
We will assess your report and decide what action is appropriate.
We may:
- contact you for more information
- work with Surrey Police and other agencies where appropriate to take coordinated action
- gather information where lawful and necessary before taking action
We will explain what action we can take and any limitations.
We will agree with you how and when we will provide updates. We may not be able to share all details of any action taken because of confidentiality and data protection requirements.
We prioritise reports based on risk and seriousness. More serious incidents are responded to more urgently. Serious cases may be responded to within 1 working day.
Not all reports will result in formal action. We will consider the circumstances and available evidence before deciding what steps to take.
In some cases, we may need to share information without your consent to protect you or others where there is a risk of harm.
If the incident involves a council tenant
If the person responsible is a council tenant, we may take action under their tenancy agreement. Hate crimes may also be treated as antisocial behaviour.
We will manage the case in line with tenancy conditions and relevant policies, and explain what action we can take.
We work with Surrey Police and other agencies where appropriate.
We will explain what action we can take and keep you informed about the progress of your case where possible.
How we support victims
We take all reports of hate crime seriously and follow a victim-centred approach.
We will:
- treat your information sensitively and confidentially
- carry out a risk assessment where appropriate
- consider the needs of vulnerable residents
We may also:
- refer you to specialist support services
- work with partner agencies to support you
If you live in council housing and feel unsafe, we can discuss housing options with you.
If there are safeguarding concerns, we may share information with relevant agencies to help protect you or others.