Sussex Police is hoping to recruit people from the community to set up a new Independent Hate Crime Scrutiny and Involvement Panel.
It will be made up of volunteers and will provide feedback and advice for police on their response to hate crime in the county.
They say the aim is to improve communication between police and the diverse communities in Sussex.
Superintendent Rachel Swinney, Force lead for Hate Crime, said:
“Last year Sussex Police was the first force nationally to volunteer to take part in a Hate Crime Investigations Inspection.
"This was carried out by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and independent members of the National Independent Advisory Group (IAG).
“The overall findings of this inspection concluded that the policing response to Hate Crime in Sussex was of a good standard and while I recognise that good work, there is still more to do.
“I am really proud that Sussex will be one of the first forces in the country to invite community members to work more closely alongside policing in our efforts to tackle Hate Crime.
"The new panel will put the voice of our community at the forefront of the local policing response to offences of this nature.
“I would like to invite members of the public to join us and be part of this important work. Hate Crime won’t be tolerated in Sussex and it is a priority for us to ensure that we continue to work together, build on and improve the trust and confidence of our local communities.
“Membership of the panel will be made up of community members, with a particular focus on ensuring representation from all areas of our community.
"A key element of this work will be ensuring that the relationships between the panel members and police are ones that are built on trust and honesty – we want to achieve both openness and transparency around the work we do.
“I am confident that panel members will be able to provide both valuable feedback and insight that will allow the force to both improve and adapt its overall policing response to Hate Crime.”
Sussex Police welcomes all expressions of interest, and are particularly keen to hear from young people as well as those who have been a victim of Hate Crime or have an understanding of Hate Crime.
If you are interested in joining, please contact Alex.Hyatt@sussex.pnn.police.uk by Wednesday, July 14.
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