Revealed: Racist crime spike in Arun after Brexit vote

A Freedom of Information request revealed that crimes with a racist element rose by 39 per cent in the year after the EU referendum.

The figures show the number of crimes recorded as having a racist element in the year before 23 June 2016 (the day of the EU referendum) and the year after.

In the year before the Brexit vote police recorded 69 racist crimes in Arun.

In the year after the figure rose to 96.

Particularly sharp increases were seen in Hotham (from two to 10) and Bersted (from three to 11).

A large majority of people in Arun voted to leave the EU in 2016’s referendum, with 62.43 per cent voting to leave and just 37.49 per cent to remain.

Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Katy Bourne said: “After members of my team held a series of workshops with local charities and specialist services, I decided to make a tranche of funding available to specifically support victims of hate crime who have been targeted because of their race, religion, gender identity, sexuality, disability, or age,” said Sussex PCC Katy Bourne.”

Funding from the PCC’s office has gone to a variety of organisations in the region to help fight hate crime.