Initially there will be reporting centres in Kingswood, Patchway, Staple Hill, Thornbury and Yate.
Victims or third parties can report hate crime in person at Kingswood one stop shop, Patchway Town Council, Staple Hill Citizens Advice Bureau, The Elevation Group at Staple Hill (or email reporting@elevationuk.com), Thornbury Citizens Advice Bureau and Yate Citizens Advice Bureau.
Additional reporting centres will be rolled out across South Gloucestershire by the end of this year.
An advertising campaign featuring posters on buses aims to raise awareness of what hate crime is and where it can be reported in confidence.
Poster designs focus on different types of hate crime including those which are racist, faith based, homophobic, transgender and those committed against disabled people.
Hate crime incidents may involve verbal abuse, harassment, attacks, damage to property or graffiti.
The campaign is driven by South Gloucestershire Partnership Against Hate Crime (PAHC) and funded by Safer South Gloucestershire.
Carl Saunders, vice-chair of the PAHC, said: “The reporting centres aim to encourage people to report hate crime if they are victims or witnesses of it, and to reassure them that they can do so in a safe and unthreatening environment.
“Everybody deserves to live their lives free of hate. This campaign is just part of a number of initiatives across the area to help prevent and tackle hate crime through awareness raising, to support victims and to bring perpetrators to justice.”
Anyone can report hate crime in confidence where they see the PAHC logo. See www.safersouthglos.org.uk/HateCrime for full details of the reporting centres and their opening times.
In an emergency always call the police on 999.
ENDS