Police hit the streets of Brighton to warn people that hate crime "will not be tolerated".
PCSO Baskar and PCSO Peters stepped out onto the streets of Brighton and Hove last Wednesday for Hate Crime Awareness week.
The officers spoke with bus drivers, businesses and locals and explained how to report hate crime.
Brighton and Hove Police said: "Hate crime is not always physical and can also be verbal, online or damage to property.
"Everyone has the right to live without fear and we want to encourage anyone who has or is experiencing hate to get in touch."
The law identifies five classifications of hate crime based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and transgender identity.
A crime can be seen as a hate crime if the criminal has shown hostility or if they were driven by hostility towards these elements.
Legislation, including the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and section 66 of the Sentencing Act 2020, allows for harsher punishments for those found guilty of hate crimes.
Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have agreed to the following definition of hate crimes: "Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on a person's disability or perceived disability; race or perceived race; or religion or perceived religion; or sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation or transgender identity or perceived transgender identity."
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