DrMBrookes

Articles by: Dr Mark Brookes

How collaboration between police forces and support organisations can stop learning disability hate crime

16th March 2023

Dr Mark Brookes, Advocacy Lead, Dimensions

FEATURE: Disability hate crime has increased significantly in recent years, with autistic people and those with learning disabilities often targeted; Dr Mark Brookes, Advocacy Lead at support and campaign group Dimensions UK, outlines some of the work the organisation is already doing with policing to improve the response to disability hate crime, and the resources and training opportunities available that could help police to tackle such crimes and provide better support to victims.

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Dr Mark Brookes
Advocacy Lead

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Dr Mark Brookes MBE is a Campaigns Advisor and Quality Auditor at Dimensions, and has worked in the disability field for decades, campaigning for the rights of people with a learning disability. Most recently he is involved in campaigns aiming to raise awareness of hate crime directed towards people with learning disabilities and autism. As part of Dimensions #ImWithSam campaign, Mark has shared his own experiences of experiencing hate crime and spoken on BBC TV and radio about the need for more to be done to stop it. Mark was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Kent in 2019 for his work on Hate Crime, a huge accolade that has since been followed by an MBE, a place of the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 list and membership of the Learning Disability Leaders List run by Dimensions in association with VODG and Learning Disability England.