A HANDBOOK aimed at getting the best support for victims of racism was launched on Wednesday.
The Kirklees Multi-Agency Racial Harassment Handbook gives advice to public, private and voluntary groups on how to deal with racist incidents.
Chief Supt Barry South, of Huddersfield Police, said: "Everyone acknowledges inequality and prejudice are wrong. Yet there is still confusion as to how this is wrong in terms of racism. This handbook will do much to remove confusion."
Maroof Shah, community safety officer at Kirklees Safer Community Partnership, which produced and paid for the handbook, said: "This is an easy to understand publication which will help agencies to provide effective and consistent support for victims of racial harassment."
Topics covered include definitions of racist incidents and how to handle them, the law, interview procedures for helping victims and details of organisations which deal with such cases.
During 2003-2004 Kirklees saw a 16% rise in the number of racist incidents reported. Ms Shah said: "This is generally accepted to represent an increased confidence on the part of the victims to report incidents."
