Don’t Get Involved in Twitter Debates, We Have a Responsibility to Protect Freedom of Speech, British Police Told

Metropolitan Police officers are seen outside Parliament in London on Oct. 16, 2021. Rob Pinney/Getty Images

Non-crime hate incidents should not be recorded where they are trivial and irrational, according to new guidance from England and Wales’s police body, a move which is being celebrated as “a step in the right direction” by free speech defenders.

Non-crime hate incidents (NCHI) include things like offensive or insulting comments, online, in person, or in writing. They have been used by British police if officers are unsure whether a reported incident amounts to a crime.

‘Big Moment’

The guidance from the College of Policing, published on Thursday, says non-crime hate incidents should not be recorded where they are trivial, irrational, or if there is no basis to conclude that an incident was motivated by hostility.