Bovey children love making posters about hate

Cops teach them about hate crime offences

Children at a Bovey Tracey school have produced posters to support the police’s work to tackle hate crime.

Alocal police team taught 10 and 11 year-olds from Bovey Tracey Academy what hate crime is and the harmful impact it has on people.

As a result, students drew posters to raise awareness about the different forms of hate crime and how to report it.

A hate crime is any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a person's disability or perceived disability; race or perceived race; religion or perceived religion; sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation; transgender identity or perceived transgender identity.

Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Paul Wilson visited the school with Inspector Sean Roper to hand out certificates. “These children are the next generation of adults - having these conversations with them early on can help shape the person they grow up to be and the way they interact with people in the future," said PCSO Wilson.

“We want to play our part in fostering a community of respect and diversity. This project has been an effective way for us to connect with students to raise awareness of hate crime and the importance of inclusivity and kindness.”

The children learned about protected characteristics and what to do if they experience hate crime. Two posters were selected to be used in future hate crime awareness campaigns in the area.

Constable Ruth Lee from the South Devon Diverse communities team helped select the two campaign posters: “It’s great to see how engaged the children were, it was clear they learnt a lot. As police officers, we support schools to educate around hate crime and the impact it can have on individuals and communities. It’s an opportunity for us to empower children and help them recognise the effect of their own actions and those of others."