Stephen Timms MP backs disability anti-hate crime event
East Ham MP Stephen Timms was a guest at Westminster event held to mark the start of Learning Disability Week.
The occasion, organised by the learning disability charity Mencap, aimed to raise awareness of the issue of disability hate crime and highlight the progress made since the launch of its Stand by me campaign last year.
Other notable attendees at the event including police minister Nick Herbert; Met Police Asst Comm Simon Byrne, Mencap chief executive Mark Goldring; and disability hate crime victim Kate Green.
The Metropolitan Police is one of the 34 forces which has signed up to Mencap’s Stand by me police promise and formally committed to supporting people with a learning disability and increasing hate crime convictions.
Mr Timms said: “I am impressed by the commitment of the Metropolitan Police to support this important campaign.
“It is potentially a real life saver for people with learning disabilities.”
Local Mencap groups are currently holding campaign stalls in police stations to educate officers about learning disabilities.
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Mencap chief executive Mark Goldring added: “It is great that Stephen Timms is supporting Mencap’s campaign to end disability hate crime. We hope that he will work with the Metropolitan Police to ensure that tackling disability hate crime is a top priority, and that they provide the best support possible to victims with a learning disability.”
For more information, visit www.mencap.org.uk/standbyme
