Has COVID-19 caused an increase in hate crime?

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There are a number of triggers for discriminatory and racist behaviour to others (hate crime). With the recent pandemic hitting our UK shores, racial discrimination, and the current UK recession, these are triggering those to conduct hate crime on others.

There has been a long-standing tradition of research on racist attitudes and discriminatory practices and it has shown that threatening events such as terror attacks, economic shocks (recession) and outbreaks of infectious diseases (like the recent COVID-19 Outbreak) are contributing factors to increasing numbers of reported hate crimes.

Hate crimes have been generally increasing over the past seven years. With some threatening events such as the Manchester attack in 2017 and the Westminster Bridge attack in 2019 influencing the spikes in reported hate crimes. But other events such as the shooting in Paris in 2015 not influencing any spikes in hate crimes.

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And in recent times, the Coronavirus Pandemic has triggered another spike in hate crimes against the Asian and ethnic communities.

As the Coronavirus originated from the Wuhan province of China, many southern and eastern Asian communities that reside within the UK became victims of hate crime.

Between the months of January and March 2020, when the Coronavirus pandemic was intensifying in the UK, the number of offences reported almost tripled compared to the same period of 2018 and 2019 – with at least 267 reports of hate crime were made across the UK.

From this figure, 63 offences were recorded by the Metropolitan police while forces in Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Essex, Humberside and Northamptonshire have already received more reports this year than they did throughout the whole of 2019 – with 375 hate crimes against Chinese people being recorded last year.

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the UK, multiple incidents that involved racial abuse such as being spat on, punched, and verbally abused have been reported.

The Deputy chief constable Mark Hamilton – the national lead for hate crime said “no one is responsible for the outbreak and everyone has a right to be protected against targeted racial abuse”

In March 2020, the owner of a Chinese takeaway restaurant was “spat at” in the face by a teenage boy who demanded to know if he “had Coronavirus”.  The daughter of the takeaway owner Sharon So told the Independent that the offender who was part of a group of three began recording her father on his phone, demanding to know if he was infected with the virus.

In a separate incident, Jonathan Mok, a 23-year-old student from Singapore said he was beaten up on Oxford Street in London in a racial attack in February of this year.

Mr Mok said that a group mentioned Coronavirus before proceeding to punch him in the face. He also stated that one member of the group then said: “I don’t want your coronavirus in my country” then proceeding to hit him on the nose.

And in recent months the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said ‘A rise in violence was “almost inevitable” due to the pandemic.

He told reporters “I have been saying for some time, in the context of COVID-19, that a lot of pent-up feelings of people have, and being able to get out and combine that with people who are unsure about their future and about their jobs, it was almost inevitable that we would see a growth in violence”  this comes after the recent stabbings in Birmingham City Centre at the beginning of September.

 

For more information on how we can effectively protect your business with our security services, please visit our website or give our friendly team a call on 01656 713950

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Going to university? Here’s how to stay safe

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Moving to university is one of the most exciting and biggest milestones in any young person life. With students being able to experience their own independence, making new friends and experiencing the most famous week of all Freshers week.

However, with the Coronavirus causing many university traditions to be vastly different from what they were before, there are aspects of university that will remain unchanged by the pandemic.

And one aspect of university that won’t change is security. Whether that’s securing your accommodation or looking after your own personal safety. As mentioned before, that’ll be the very first time that students have been able to live independently from their parents in either student accommodation or private rentals.  Living independently will certainly pave the way in learning and gaining life experiences but to aid students in this process and ensure they stay safe; we have a very handy guide for new and returning students.

Is your accommodation secure?

Whether you are in student accommodation or private housing, it’s important that where you are going to spend your time during university is secure and safe. Criminals see students as ‘Easy targets’ for burglary and theft. According to the office of national statistics, students are 7% more likely to be victims of theft than the rest of the population. Most student accommodation block will have their own security systems in place such as key card or fob entry systems. But if you are in private accommodation ensure that your property’s doors and windows have adequate locks on them and when you leave the property, ensure that all the windows and doors are securely locked.

Protect your possessions

Many students will agree that they cannot go without their phone, laptop, or other electronic goods and this can make them a profitable target to thieves. To ensure your valuables are kept safe from prying eyes, keep them out of sight and out of view of any doors and windows. If you’re living with multiple people you may want to lock your own room so no one can gain access.

If you are looking for a hiding place for your valuables don’t go for the obvious hiding places such as under your mattress or in the sock draw because they will be the first places that criminals will look. To ensure your valuables are kept safe think creatively. Hollowed out books or re-purposed food containers are great hiding places.

Consider personal belongings cover

Although your landlord will have home insurances for your home, it won’t cover your own valuables from theft or damage, so it is up to you to cover your own personal belongings. You can find insurance deals that are designed specifically for students and their valuables and can offer protection against theft and hazards such as fire or flooding. Although it is tempting to save yourself some extra cash by not taking this type of insurance out, it could save you thousands of pounds in the long run and will give you peace of mind.

Secure your bike

Having a bike is the quickest way of getting from A to B. But with many students using them and often aren’t being secured effectively, they present an easy target to criminals. To ensure you bike is covered, you can add it to your personal belongings cover that is previously mentioned above. However, if you are cycling to university, you should lock your bike at a bike shed and use a second lock to secure removable parts such as wheels. Most student accommodation blocks will also have a bike shed, but if you are in private accommodation then it is best that you bring your bike inside to prevent it being stolen under the cover of darkness. Also, to give you further peace of mind you can register your bike with the Bike Register, a national database used approved by the police force. This will help the police identify your bike and return it to you safely.

Keep your personal information safe.

Personal information can be just as valuable and profitable as physical valuables to it’s important that your personal information is secure. It can be devastating when fraudsters gain access to your bank account and steal thousands of pounds. To avoid your information being stolen, shred any paper that will contain such information (bank statements, insurances, gas, and electricity bills). To ensure your online data is safe, use anti-virus software on electronic devices such as your phone, tablet, and laptop, use strong passwords and avoid oversharing information on social media.

Ask for ID

By law students in rented accommodation are entitled to 24hour notice if the landlord wishes to enter or send someone to the property. Therefore, this allows you to be aware that someone outside of your home is coming to your property and allows you to act accordingly. And if you haven’t received notice of anyone coming to your property, you legally allowed to deny entry to your property (whether that is your landlord or a maintenance worker). If someone does try to gain access to your home, always ask for ID and try and contact your landlord for verification before letting them in. If you feel suspicious of them or don’t feel safe, say ‘No’.

If you need help, seek it

University is both an exciting time and a daunting time for students. While some will enjoy university life, for others leaving home and being separated from their parents, friends and family can be difficult and can have an impact on their mental wellbeing. For many universities, student mental health is a major priority for them, and they’ll often offer counselling services, workshops and courses for students who are struggling to adapt to university life, academic pressure, or mental health issues.

For more information on mental health wellbeing at university, take a look at students minds or the UK mental health charity Mind.

 

If you are in need of professional security solutions, contact us on 01656 713950 or visit our website for further details

Cybersecurity, Physical Security, Security, Security Services, Security Guards, mobile Patrol, manned Guard, Alarm Response

Cybersecurity vs Physical Security: Which is more important?

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When looking for ‘Security’ for either your home or business into google or other web browsers, you’re immediately greeted with results talking about increasing your firewall protections rather than actual physical security solutions.

And with the technology and the world now moving at such fast paces, cybersecurity is seen as one of the fundamental building blocks of any business or home network.

But with so many of us rushing to secure our networks and data, are businesses neglecting the physical aspect of their security? And should they be focusing on one aspect of find links between them?

Cybersecurity

In the past 20 years, technology has changed from us having static computer systems in locked rooms to us having mobile laptops that allow us to work anywhere. However, with the advancement in devices being able to connect to the internet and allowing us to work in any location, our technology and data can easily come under attack by rogue viruses and spyware.

In 2019, Hiscox insurers conducted research on Cyber-attacks on British firms and found that 55% had faced an attack compared to 40% in 2018. With the average losses from breaches soaring from £176,000 to £272,000 (an increase of 61%).

Physical Security

Where cybersecurity protects your data from criminals, physical guards protect your data and physical assets from physical threats. Physical Security guards can be used in a number of ways to protect physical assets including:

  • Alarm Response and key holding services
  • Manned guard
  • Mobile Patrol
  • Concierge/front of house.

Working together

With our modern lives seeing more and more technology, a modern security solution needs to utilise both cybersecurity and physical security and have both working together and informing each other.

And with the advancements in technology, physical security has changed. Before it was simply putting a key in a lock, but now large corporate buildings are installing more advanced systems such as keypads, access guards, audio/visual feeds to grant access. And these systems use data that needs to be protected.

Physical threats can also compromise your cybersecurity as it is much easier for a criminal to gain access to your network and steal your valuable data. This means that server rooms and data centres should be secured at all times and that businesses that use cloud networks should ensure that they only use reputable companies that have a proven track record when it comes to securing data.

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to which is better. It’s more if a question of “How much is your business willing to invest in each and how you can make them work together”

If you are looking for a reputable security provider to coincide with your cybersecurity, take a look at our website for further details or contact us on 01656 713950.