PRESS RELEASE
Great Yarmouth and Waveney Pride are urging people to join their fight to make Great Yarmouth safe for all.
After verbal and physical attacks in LGBTQ+ people have increased substantially and two reported incidents happening in the day of Great Yarmouth and Waveney Pride 2022, GYWPride are asking for the community of Great Yarmouth to come together in a show of support for the LGBTQ+ Youth and community as a whole by displaying a printed sign, downloadable from their website or Facebook Page, in their home, car or business windows.
Vice Chair and Trustee, Andrew, had a telephone conversation with the Community Engagement Officer, PC Davison, regarding the incidents that occurred over the weekend and others that have happened this month. We are pleased that Norfolk Constabulary have engaged with Pride to discuss the feelings and fears you have communicated to us and we continue to build on the good relationship we have built with the police.
The Police have assured us that they are listening and willing to understand the issues our community face. They are disappointed, and acknowledge, that crimes that have been reported in the past haven’t always been dealt with in the timely or consistent manner they should have and are keen for our community to talk with them to build better engagement and improve the service they provide.
Early survey results suggest that many homophobic and transphobic crimes in Norfolk go unreported. We have proposed to police that we have our own LGBTQ+ conversation with them – in the form of an open forum meeting in person and also an online meeting where our community can feedback and engage with police on the matters that are of concern to the community.
Norfolk Police are keen to express that all incidents reported will be taken seriously and encourage our community to report hate crime incidents. There have already been arrests in connection with the incidents of the weekend and investigations are ongoing. By working in partnership we want to assure our community that there is an open dialogue with police.
Please report hate crimes when they happen. Together we will effect change. Together we can stop this negative and harmful behaviour at its roots with your support.
Download the banner today: