A report on Police Scotland, released in May 2023 found first-hand evidence of racism, sexism and homophobia within the force, as well as an internal culture which discourages reporting such incidents. The report was released a week after Chief Constable of Police Scotland, Sir Iain Livingston, admitted that the force was institutionally racist and discriminatory, and comes in the wake of record low trust in other police forces, such as London’s Metropolitan police.
The report found that instances of people being “punished” for raising concerns or filing complaints were discouraging others from sharing their own experiences of harassment within the force. This allowed instances of discrimination to occur within plain sight, as witnesses to events were unwilling to come forward for fear of no action being taken. The report also argued the that defunding of Police Scotland by the Scottish Government held partial responsibility for the shortcomings of the force. As the body received less financial support, it became unable to offer the same standard of training, or adequately deal with internal complaints.
The findings of the report are important for the future of Police Scotland since they offer strategies to improve trust in the force, especially from minority groups who have historically been more wary of the effects of police forces upon their communities. Currently, public opinion of Police Scotland is notably higher than the opinion of the Met in London or police forces across America, which have been affected by numerous protests surrounding both individual and institutional discrimination. Because of this, the report is largely pre-emptive, critically analysing the culture and practices of the police force and encouraging it to improve before trust in Scottish policing is eroded to the same extent.
Within the report were many instances of poor behaviour from individuals and low accountability from the force as a whole. However, there were positive changes noted by the report. While it acknowledged that discriminatory views were still present in the force, there was an understanding among its members that its cultural attitudes had shifted dramatically over the past decade, resulting in a marked improvement within Police Scotland. Despite this, there remains much to be done to ensure minorities both within and outwith the force had full trust in its ability to combat discrimination.
Moving forward, the report found that while the force could offer assurances on its commitment to improvement, its likelihood of implementing the necessary changes was less certain. The report advised that the force take a “less is more” approach, introducing fewer initiatives but ensuring each was followed through and implemented fully. The report also suggested clarifying how a more inclusive nature could benefit the service, avoiding a “one-size-fits-all” approach to incidents, and accepting that changes to the culture of the police force will take both time and energy.
Overall, while the report was critical of the culture within Police Scotland, and its current strategies for limiting workplace discrimination and harassment, it remained hopeful in the direction of the force, and its commitment to making Police Scotland a more successful and inclusive service.