THE Oxford Mail (July 25) features a picture of Cllr Hayes and his colleague holding a large poster of the human eye, in the Town Hall, with the message “report it.”

The eyes of Oxford City Council’s PC brigade are clearly watching Oxford’s people’s every thought, word, and action in the council’s attempt to interpret all human interactions as a possible example of ‘hate crime’. Misinterpretation of ‘hate crimes’ have already occurred in Oxford.

Hate Crime is the latest cause celebre for the city council and its ‘zero tolerance to hate’ campaign. 

If only the city council had a zero tolerance to extortionate rents and unaffordable homes; or to ensuring that all the jobs in the new Westgate Shopping Centre paid Oxford’s ‘living wage’; or to reducing the number of pupils per class as a way of improving Oxford’s state schools’ attainment levels, then Oxford people would welcome the city council’s intervention.

Oxford people should not tolerate the city council’s eagerness to help in the detection and prosecution in the subjective interpretation of hate crime and, secondly, how much are these city-wide posters costing us?
Oxford City Council’s solitary reason for existing is to provide services. The city council is not an arm of the police; although listening to councillors’ glee for approving the criminalisation of homelessness, or Busking, could easily lead one into viewing councillors as part of the police.

The city council should allow the quite capable Thames Valley Police constables to undertake policing, including hate crimes, whilst the city council provides the services Oxford’s working poor require. 

CHAKA ARTWELL
Barton