Committee publication · Correspondence · 28 April 2026
Letter from the Minister of State for Policing and Crime relating to the publication of the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ Council Non-Crime Hate incident Review 31.03.2026
From: Home Affairs Committee
Summary
Minister Sarah Jones informs the Home Affairs Committee that the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs' Council have published their review of Non-Crime Hate Incidents (NCHIs), recommending replacement of the current system with a tighter incident recording framework tied to genuine policing purposes. The Home Office accepts the recommendations and commits to full implementation by end-2026, including updating the National Standard for Incident Recording and adopting an anti-social behaviour framework for relevant non-criminal hate incidents.
Key findings
- Non-Crime Hate Incidents will no longer be recorded; the review found the current system disproportionate and unfit for purpose after 30 years of use following the Stephen Lawrence inquiry.
- A revised incident definition will raise the threshold so police record only events relevant to preventing/solving crime, safeguarding, or statutory policing purposes—narrowing from current 'any event causing concern to the reporter' approach.
- NCHI recording will be replaced with anti-social behaviour framework with 'prejudice qualifier', creating consistent, searchable categorisation and preventing non-crime incidents being labelled with criminal terminology.
- Triage process by specially trained staff (not front-line call takers) will assess genuine policing purpose before recording; forces using hate crime specialists already demonstrate better outcomes.
- Home Office will assess statutory DBS guidance for disclosure of non-conviction NCHI information and ensure consistent, fair decision-making across forces on employment impacts.
Government position
The Home Office fully accepts all recommendations directed at it. Minister Jones confirms the government will lead implementation, including owning the revised incident recording standard, supporting forces and the College of Policing, and commissioning HMICFRS inspections on implementation effectiveness. The government aims for full adoption by end of 2026 following public consultation on national training and guidance.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Policing and Crime, Dame Karen Bradley MP, Chair of Home Affairs Committee, College of Policing, National Police Chiefs' Council, Home Office, His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, Lord McDonald (leading Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation)
Notable line
“Non-Crime Hate Incidents have expanded beyond their original intention.”
Key Quotes
“I can confirm that I have accepted the recommendations directed at the Home Office .”
“This approach will release significant policing time, allowing officers to focus on preventing crime, protecting vulnerable people and responding to genuine risk, rather than low level disputes.”
“I am confident that these changes, developed by policing experts in close consultation with community representatives, will strike the correct balance between safeguarding vulnerable communities and protecting lawful freedom of expression.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗