Almost 40% gay and lesbian people in the North have been the victims of homophobic crime, according to a study commissioned by the PSNI. The research by the Rainbow Project found that 24% of homophobic incidents were instigated by neighbours of the victims. It also found that almost two-thirds of homophobic crimes in the past three years were not reported to the police. The Rainbow Project is urging the PSNI to do more to encourage lesbian, gay and bisexual people to report hate incidents and ensure that officers are fully briefed on how to deal with these crimes.