ABSTRACT
In April 2013 Greater Manchester Police (GMP) in the UK announced that it would henceforth be recording targeted attacks on members of what it termed ‘alternative subcultures’ as hate crimes. In a move covered prominently across national media, the force argued that ‘adding this extra category of hate crime will help us better understand how some people are suffering from crimes because of their appearance, and better respond to the needs of victims of crime’ (GMP, 2013). With implications for how such crime is measured and the kinds of support offered to victims, the move – at present – contrasts with current national hate crime policy in the UK, which covers race/ethnicity, religion/belief, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
