One caution and one prosecution, which was thrown out because of procedural irregularities. The truth is such operations come against a background of politically inspired change. After being condemned for institutional racism by the Macpherson report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence, the Met responded by putting more emphasis on its racial and violent crimes taskforce commanded by John Grieve, former head of the anti-terrorism branch, in charge. Along with the physical resources came political clout. The reality is that with the numbers of police officers we have, whatever Jack Straw says, we have to prioritise, said Glen Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation.
Hate crime is a ministerial priority.
Under it, the police launched a drive last month against hate crime with an advertising campaign in 300 cinemas across the capital. The campaign, urging young Londoners to report incidents, was backed by celebrities such as Jonathon Ross, actors from ITV s The Bill, and victims including Sheryl Gascoigne and Gary Reid, a survivor of the Admiral Duncan pub bombing, a homophobically motivated attack. The switch in emphasis is partly prompted by the rise of what might be called the golden age for rights. British citizens, who muddled through without a written constitution for a millennium or two, now enjoy more statutory rights than they know what to do with. From the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, the movement has marched across Europe, producing the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights.