There’s no use pretending hate crime isn’t happening daily on London’s streets. It may not be in your periphery in broad daylight but the numbers tell a different story. With 14,631 hate crimes recorded in London last year, the Crime Survey for England and Wales suggests that up to 52 per cent of hate crime goes unreported. Somehow we’ve still not wiped out LGBT hate crime and new stats have shown Islamophobic attacks are up by 70% in Britain, with bystanders failing to step in and stop abuse. 

While Mayor Boris Johnson may have failed to do a lot of things for the capital, he’s responding to these spiralling figures before things get worse. BJ has improved the already existing Self Evident app so victims with an iPhone or Android can more easily respond to issues of hate crime, and utilise its specialised features that apparently integrate with police in London. The app enables victims to immediately report an incident, with the info going directly to police via a secure server. You can also upload photographic and video evidence as part of the report, along with a verbal statement if desired.

This new service was launched for National Hate Crime Awareness Week via the Mayor. He said: “Crimes committed simply because of who a victim is have no place in our society. They must never be tolerated and anyone who suffers should receive support as quickly as possible. We’ve already seen a rise in reporting, which is important to help the police do their job, and I am very pleased we have been able to launch this app.”

There’s definitely a link to be made between the ease and comfort of reporting a crime and the confidence a victim might have to open up about it. It’s one thing having to wait until after work to travel to your nearest police office and having to tell the story to a person you have never met, and quite another just pulling your phone from your pocket and punching in the details of what has just happened to you. It’s a desperately needed step in the right direction anyway.