Enfield's Equalities Board has noted a rise in antisemitic hate crime within the borough since October 2023, coinciding with international events that occurred that month. The issue was discussed during the board's meeting on Monday, July 21, 2025, as part of an update on hate crime within the borough.
Jonathan Toy, Head of Community Safety, informed the board of a small reduction in overall hate crime in the last 12 months. However, he highlighted the concerning increase in antisemitic incidents following international events in October 2023. The council is reportedly working closely with partners to address this issue and is monitoring how international challenges impact local communities.
The council is working closely with partners to address the rise in antisemitic hate crime.
During the meeting on March 19, 2025, in response to a query on how many of the 577 recorded incidents of racist/religious crime detailed within the report were antisemitic, officers confirmed that these figures could be provided.
Members of the board expressed surprise that the report stated that antisemitic crime had slightly decreased, which was explained as a reduction from the very significant increase in October, November and December 2023. Jonathan Toy advised that analysis could be done and provided to the Board, comparing figures from 2022 and 2024 to determine if there was an overall increase.
Concerns were also raised about the potential underreporting of antisemitic crime within the Jewish community. Officers stated that significant efforts are being made to encourage reporting, including outreach to faith organisations within the borough, fostering a strong network within Enfield. This outreach includes visits to faith organisations within the borough.
The Equalities Board's Terms of Reference define its role in overseeing the council's efforts to eliminate discrimination based on protected characteristics, including religion or belief. The board is tasked with monitoring the council's performance against equality legislation, acting as an advisory body, and raising awareness of the needs of service users.
The Equalities Board Work Programme 2025-26 includes the Annual Equalities Report 2024/25 as a key agenda item.
