Police urge residents to help stop hate crimes in the wake of incidents at the World Outgames

Copenhagen’s police department is asking city residents to be more vigilant in reporting hate crimes, reports Politiken newspaper.

The initiative comes after two attacks on participants in the recently completed World Outgames, a nine-day international event focusing on homosexual rights. Police believe both attackers were motivated by their victim’s sexual orientation.

In a commentary in today’s Politiken, Chief Inspector Per Larsen of the Copenhagen Police said the department takes hate crimes ‘seriously’. He also said it was important that people reporting crimes stated whether they believed it was a hate crime.

About 100 hate crimes are reported each year, according to police statistics. But the actual number of hate crimes committed could be much higher.

A Justice Ministry study has shown that approximately 12,000 people annually feel exposed to a racist or homophobic motivated crime.

Larsen’s statements come after the Copenhagen Police in partnership with the City Council, the National Association of Gay and Lesbians, the Institute for Human Rights and the organisers of the World Outgames, began a campaign to improve awareness of hate crimes.

Police have previously been criticised for not taking hate crimes seriously. But, according to Larsen, initiatives such as clear guidelines for how officers should deal with hate crimes, issued ahead of the Outgames, would improve their efforts.