Key Highlights :
A majority of Scots agree with the assessment of Police Scotland Chief Constable Sir Iain Livingstone that the force is institutionally racist, a new poll has found. Last month, the chief constable caused shockwaves with his admission that the country's police force was “institutionally racist and discriminatory”.
On Wednesday, a Redfield and Wilton Strategies poll of 1,466 Scots found that more than half agreed with his assessment. When asked between June 3 and 5, 52% told the pollster that they agreed with his view, compared to just 14% who disagreed. 21% said they neither agreed or disagreed, and 13% said they do not know.
When asked how Police Scotland is dealing with the issue, 42% answered that they do not know if the force is taking the right steps to reduce instances of institutional racism and sexism within the force. 30% of Scots thought the force was taking the right steps to deal with the issue, while another 29% said they believe it is not doing so.
Sir Iain's admission came days after it was announced that thousands more Police Scotland officers would be enlisted to stamp out offensive “banter” and so-called “canteen culture” as part of a mandatory programme entitled Policing Together. This, in turn, came as a report published to the meeting which he made the statement, found “instances of ongoing discrimination against minoritised communities, including first-hand accounts of racism, sexism and homophobia” by serving officers.
First Minister Humza Yousaf described Sir Iain's statement as “historic” and “monumental”. He said: “It is right for me, the right thing for me to do as chief constable, to clearly state that institutional racism, sexism, misogyny and discrimination exist. Police Scotland is institutionally racist and discriminatory.”
The poll results suggest that a majority of Scots agree with Sir Iain's assessment of institutional racism in Police Scotland. It is clear that the force needs to take action to address this issue, and the mandatory programme Policing Together is a step in the right direction. However, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to tackle the problem of institutional racism in the force.