UK Police Plan to Ditch Controversial 'Hate Speech' Records

Major Shift in Policy

Big changes are coming to how UK police handle reports of hate speech. The College of Policing is set to recommend ending the practice of recording non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) on the national crime database. This move could mean the end of secret blacklists that have affected people's job prospects.

Current System to be Scrapped

Lord Herbert, chairman of the College of Policing, said the current system will be scrapped and replaced with something new. The proposal states that keeping non-crime incidents on a crime system isn't the right approach. Instead, only the most serious cases of anti-social behavior will be recorded.

Uncertainty Over Past NCHIs

However, it's not clear if past NCHIs will be deleted. Some monitoring will still happen to avoid "throwing the baby out with the bathwater."

Free Speech Union's Perspective

The Free Speech Union, which has campaigned against NCHIs, sees this as a positive step. They believe NCHIs have had a chilling effect on free speech and have been used to silence opponents.

Impact on Police Resources

NCHIs have taken up a lot of police time, with over 13,000 recorded in the year up to June 2024. Meanwhile, 90% of all crimes went unsolved in 2023. The focus on NCHIs has drawn criticism, especially after the arrest of comedian Graham Linehan for tweets he posted outside the UK. The investigation collapsed, and the police force involved decided to stop investigating NCHIs altogether.

Relief and Uncertainty

This shift comes as a relief to many who believe police should focus on real crimes rather than monitoring social media. The new system promises a "common sense" approach, but the details are still unclear. The Free Speech Union will be watching closely to ensure NCHIs are truly consigned to history.