London police will no longer investigate 'non-crime hate incidents'

The Met has confirmed it will stop investigating so-called “non-crime hate incidents” (NCHIs) — incidents perceived as motivated by hostility or prejudice but not amounting to a prosecutable offence. Sky News+2The Standard+2
This move follows heavy criticism of an arrest earlier this year of writer Graham Linehan in London over social-media posts, which reignited the debate over policing online speech, free expression and police resource allocation. AP News+1

What Are Non-Crime Hate Incidents?

NCHIs are incidents where an individual reports behaviour they believe to be motivated by hostility toward a protected characteristic (such as race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation), but where no criminal offence has been identified or committed. Wikipedia+1

While the intention behind recording NCHIs has been to monitor emerging tensions and prevent escalation into criminal hate-crime, the system has faced growing criticism for capturing what many believe to be purely offensive speech or social media posts — potentially conflating lawful expression with criminal intent. The Guardian+1

Why the Met Is Changing Course

A statement from the Met explained that Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley had repeatedly said that officers “should not be policing toxic culture war debates,” especially as current laws and online rules make it difficult to determine when speech crosses into criminal territory. The Standard+1
The Met said the decision aims to give clearer direction to officers, reduce ambiguity, and allow them to focus resources on incidents that meet the threshold for criminal investigations. Sky News

In doing so, the Met emphasised that while they will no longer investigate NCHIs, they will still record them for intelligence purposes and continue to investigate genuine hate crimes that cross the legal threshold. expressandstar.com+1

Triggering Incident: The Graham Linehan Case

The policy shift comes in the wake of the arrest of Graham Linehan in September 2025 at Heathrow Airport, on suspicion of inciting violence via three social-media posts. After a Crown Prosecution Service review, no charges were brought. AP News+1
The case sparked sharp criticism from free-speech advocates, cultural commentators and opposition politicians, who argued that the police had over-stepped by treating a controversial online statement as a potential criminal incident. The Met’s announcement followed shortly afterward. The Standard+1

Implications and Reactions

The decision has been welcomed by critics of the NCHI system, including former senior police officials and free-speech groups, who argue that investigating incidents with no crime dilutes policing priorities and chills legitimate dissent. The Times+1
On the other hand, some victim-advocacy groups are concerned the change could weaken early intervention mechanisms for hostility that stops short of criminality but still harms individuals and communities — for example verbal abuses, intimidation or harassment. The Met’s retention of recording the incidents for intelligence is meant to mediate those concerns. expressandstar.com

What Happens Next?

For the public and officers, the practical changes mean:

• Police will no longer launch investigations into allegations of hostility or prejudice unless they meet the legal threshold for a crime.
• Reports of NCHIs will still be logged by the Met for intelligence and pattern-analysis purposes.
• The Met will redirect the focus of investigations toward cases involving actual criminal offences, presumed to yield greater public-safety benefit.
• The policy may prompt other UK police forces to revisit their NCHI practices, and possibly lead to legislative change under the soon-to-be-passed Crime and Policing Bill. The Times

Final Thoughts

The Met’s decision marks a significant shift in policing policy in England and Wales. It reflects a growing recognition that policing must distinguish between what is deeply offensive and what is a prosecutable crime.
Whether this change leads to improved public trust, clearer policing priorities and better allocation of resources will depend on how it is implemented and monitored in the months ahead.

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