Senior police leaders across the UK have called for the abolition of non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs), arguing that the current system is no longer fit for purpose and places unnecessary strain on policing resources.
NCHIs allow police to record reports of behaviour perceived as motivated by hostility toward protected characteristics, even when no criminal offence has taken place. While originally intended to monitor patterns of hate and prevent escalation, critics say the practice has expanded too far and risks criminalising lawful speech.
According to police leaders, the system has become increasingly difficult to justify, particularly as social media has driven a sharp rise in reports. The National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing are jointly reviewing the policy and are expected to recommend that NCHIs be scrapped altogether.
Under proposed changes, less serious reports would instead be handled as intelligence, with formal records reserved for genuine antisocial behaviour or cases posing a clear risk. Police chiefs argue this would allow officers to focus on serious crime while maintaining safeguards against hate-motivated offending.
The issue has drawn growing political and public attention amid concerns that NCHIs can remain on police databases despite no crime being committed. Critics say this can have lasting consequences for individuals and undermine confidence in policing.
The review’s findings will be submitted to the Home Office, which will decide whether to implement the proposed reforms. Any changes would apply across United Kingdom, potentially ending a system that has been in place for more than a decade.
Supporters of reform say scrapping NCHIs would strike a better balance between protecting communities and upholding freedom of expression, while ensuring police time is focused on preventing and investigating crime.
