Around fifty Lesbian and Gay Liaison Officers (LAGLOs) from across Hampshire Constabulary attended a recent development day to help improve the force’s service to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.
The aim of the event was for the force’s LAGLOs to share ideas and best practice and find out more about current issues within LGB&T communities.
It was held at police training headquarters at Netley and speakers on the day included:
• ‘Age UK’ on the issues of elderly people in LGB&T communities
• ‘Over The Rainbow’ a support service for LGB&T people on issues of mental health
• Nick Hawkins, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service Wessex on hate crimes in sports grounds
Of particular interest for many LAGLOs was Nick Hawkins’s discussion on homophobic and racist abuse on Twitter and other social networking sites. It generated a debate which explored what constitutes abuse and what is required to bring such incidents to a successful prosecution and conviction.
The day was also an opportunity to hear from two LAGLOs who run Education For All programmes. These are officers who go into local schools to talk to young people about homophobic and transphobic bullying and the effect abusive language can have. They gave the group an update on their work to encourage others to extend the scheme.
You can talk to LAGLOs on Twitter @HantsPoliceLGBT
Inspector Julie Fry is Chair of Hampshire Constabulary’s LGB&T Resource Group which co-ordinates the LAGLOs network.
She said:
“The content of the guests and presentations were really diverse. Age UK was really useful especially to our LAGLOs who are trying to increase our engagement with older LGB&T communities.
“Nick Hawkins has been a really kind supporter of the work we’re doing in Hampshire Constabulary, not least in education, and I’d like to thank him for speaking. It was good to hear him reinforce the need to change culture and awareness about the nature of abusive language and behaviour, change that starts at education level and particularly the work we do with football clubs.
“I’d like to thank all the LAGLOs who were able to make the day. The service they provide is an important one that offers trust and confidence to often less visible communities.
“I want to show lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight that if you have any issues about policing, or being the victim or witness of a crime or incident, that we will take it seriously and respond actively.”
If you would like to find out more about the work of LAGLOs in Hampshire Constabulary, email lgbt@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
If you’ve been the victim of homophobic or transphobic abuse, call police on 101.
In an emergency, always call 999.
If you don’t want to speak to the police directly, you can always call the anonymous Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111 or report hate crimes via the True Vision website at:
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