I'm Not Laughing
Information on hate crime
Tell us about hate incidents
Report online
What is I’m not laughing all about?
On 25th June 2011, Bolton’s Neighbourhood Policing Team and their partners launched the Bolton disability hate crime campaign, focusing on the pubs and clubs in Bolton town centre.
The aim of the campaign is to ensure that everyone who visits Bolton town centre on a night out to enjoy Bolton’s pubs and clubs can do so without fear of being verbally or physically abused because of a disability. The campaign aims to make everyone who visits Bolton feel welcome in the town centre, and to ensure they are treated with respect.
Why was 'I’m not laughing' launched in Bolton?
A young woman with physical disabilities, who visited the town centre for a night out over Christmas, wrote a letter to Greater Manchester Police after experiencing a serious hate incident in a Bolton town centre bar.
Following receipt of this letter, the Bolton Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team, Community Safety team and Central Bolton Business Partnership have been working together to develop a campaign around disability hate crime, to encourage people with disabilities to visit and enjoy Bolton town centre’s pubs and clubs, without fear of being verbally or physically abused. This includes providing disability awareness raising training for staff at all Bolton town centre bars.
The campaign, called 'I’m not laughing', will launch on 25th June, and will run throughout the summer.
You can read the original letter which inspired this campaign and the experiences of other people with disabilities living in Bolton by clicking on the links within the 'Downloads' section to the right of this page.
Who supports this campaign?
The campaign is backed by many high profile individuals from Bolton, including:
- Chief Superintendent Steve Hartley;
- Bolton’s newly elected Mayor, Noel Spencer;
- Borough Commander for Fire and Rescue Service, Ian Bailey;
- Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee;
- Paralympic swimmer Rachel Latham;
- England cricketer Saj Mahmood;
- Bolton Wanderers Community Trust;
- Bolton Active Disability Group for Everyone (BADGE)
You can get involved by:
- Going to our Facebook page and signing the online pledge of support (TBC) and adding your story;
- Telling others about this page and this campaign;
- Respecting everyone who visits Bolton town centre to enjoy a night out.
A hate crime or incident is any incident that is perceived by the victim or any other person as being motivated by a prejudice or hatred of someone’s:
- Race, colour or ethnic origin
- Nationality of national origin
- Religion, faith or belief
- Gender or gender identity
- Sexuality or sexual orientation
- Disability
- Lifestyle or dress code
Hate incidents can take many forms, including:
- Physical attacks – such as physical assault, damage to property, offensive graffiti, neighbour disputes and arson
- Threat of attack – including offensive letters, abusive or obscene telephone calls, groups hanging around to intimidate you, and unfounded, malicious complaints
- Verbal abuse or insults – offensive leaflets and posters, abusive gestures, dumping of rubbish outside homes or through letterboxes and bullying at schools or in the workplace
- An incident doesn’t have to include violence for you to report it. Verbal abuse, threats of attack or victimisation can be just as distressing, and are taken just as seriously.
It is important that if you experience a hate incident you tell us. The information you provide is extremely valuable because it helps us to build up a true picture of what is happening across Bolton, and will help us to tackle hate incidents effectively.
The incident doesn't have to have happened to you; you can also report something that has happened to someone you know. All information is valuable.
Please use the numbers in the 'Contact details' section to report an incident, or call into any police station. If you are a Bolton at Home or registered social landlord tenant, contact your local housing provider to make a report.
Here in Bolton, we want to make reporting as easy and accessible as possible.
We have developed third party reporting across the borough. This will allow victims or witnesses to go into a number of community venues across the borough and make a hate incident report. This will mean they don’t have to go directly to the Police if they do not want to.
You will be able to recognise that a venue can take a hate incident report by looking out for the image shown top of this page.
More information on third party reporting centres can be found in the 'Related pages' section (top right of this page). You can also visit the Be Safe Bolton website.
You can now report hate incidents online (see 'Do it online' top right).
All information will be treated sensitively and in confidence. You can provide as little or as much information as you have or are happy to share. You also do not have to provide your personal details when you make a report. Please note: without your personal details we will be unable to pursue your individual case, or provide you with any further advice or support.
Reports will be sent to Greater Manchester Police Bolton Division. It will be recorded onto Greater Manchester Police Bolton Division’s central system. All actions are led by you. If you don’t want any action to be taken, and simply want the matter recording, that is no problem.
Your details may also be shared with Victim Support who will provide information, support and practical help regardless of whether you have asked the police to get involved.
If you have requested that the matter be investigated further you will be contacted by a Greater Manchester Police Officer in due course who will explain the next steps depending on the nature of the incident.
This form will only be received during normal office hours. If you require an immediate response please telephone Greater Manchester Police non-emergency number on the right of this page. This number is available 24 hours a day.
In an emergency dial 999.