And police say that 82 per cent of them have been detected, while positive lines of enquiry are still being followed in many of the undetected cases.
Although there is a relatively low level of hate crime in the region, officers are actively encouraging anyone who has been a victim to come forward and work with them to ensure the perpetrators can be identified and prosecuted.
Meanwhile, two newly appointed community inspectors in the region have been given the task of promoting the ‘I am me/ Keep safe’ initiative which identifies premises where disabled people can go to when they feel threatened or frightened.
The scheme already operates in Dumfries and Kirkcudbright and police hope it will spread throughout the region.
Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Gary Ritchie is keen that the community are reassured by these actions.
He said: “There is no place for hate crime in our region and by working together with our communities we can ensure that any victim of hate crime is given the best support possible to report any incident and that perpetrators understand that they will identified and prosecuted.
“We have recently appointed 4 LGBT liaison officers as part of a national campaign to help LGBT people have the confidence to report hate incidents to the police and we are constantly looking for ways to reach out to those who may be suffering in silence.”
