A neighbour who blasted Bob Marley music was recorded by police for a non-crime hate incident (NCHI). The Telegraph has the story.
North Wales Police decided the incident was one of “racial prejudice” after a homeowner complained that the playing of the reggae artist’s tracks was a “way to mock her”.
The incident, details of which were released under freedom of information (FoI) laws, was one of 126 recorded by the force between June 2023 and June 2024.
Officers recorded the NCHI after the black homeowner, whose identity was not disclosed, reported “further issues with her neighbour who has been playing music, which she believes was in order to get a reaction from her”.
“IP [interested party] also states that the suspect has been playing Bob Marley music, which she states is another way to mock her as she is black,” a summary of the incident from police call logs read.
The location and date of the incident has not been disclosed by the force.
Toby Young, the director of the Free Speech Union, said the complainant should have been told “to stop wasting police time”.
“You would hope that if someone reported their neighbour for playing Bob Marley they would be told to stop wasting police time,” he said. “It’s as if police officers have had their common sense surgically removed by race activists.”
The FoI disclosures also revealed that North Wales Police recorded an NCHI for racism after a youth ran through a man’s garden.
“IP [interested party] reporting that a youth has jumped over his fence and has ran through his garden,” call log data from the August 2024 incident reads. “IP believes this to be bullying and racist.”
On Tuesday, Lord Sumption, a former Supreme Court judge, said NCHIs should be scrapped because they have become a vehicle for settling grudges.
“I would just abolish the whole jurisdiction,” he previously told The Telegraph. “If they want to make things crimes they should do it, but this kind of intermediate framework of grudge-bearing is just intolerable.”
A North Wales Police spokesman said: “North Wales Police do comply with the Home Office Guidance. Perception of hostility or prejudice can be subjective and linked to various factors.
“The force’s efforts to follow the new code is robust and regular auditing is now in place to ensure we comply with this firm change in legislation. We will not be commenting on any individual cases.”
Worth reading in full.
