Scots agree with assessment Police Scotland is ‘institutionally racist’, says poll

A majority of Scots agree with Sir Iain Livingstone’s assessment the force he leads is institutionally racist, a poll has found.

Last month Sir Iain, Police Scotland’s chief constable, caused shockwaves with his admission the country’s force was “institutionally racist and discriminatory”.

And on Wednesday a Redfield and Wilton Strategies poll of 1,466 Scots found more than half agreed with his assessment.

When asked between June 3 and 5, 52% told the pollster they agreed with his view compared to just 14% who disagreed.

Some 21% said they neither agreed or disagreed, and 13% said they do not know.

But when asked how Police Scotland is dealing with the issue, the pollster said, 42% answered they do not know if the force is taking the right steps to reduce instances of institutional racism and sexism within the force.

Redfield and Wilton Strategies said 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.

The poll asked those who were 16 and older and living in Scotland.

Sir Iain, who is leaving Police Scotland this summer, said the force was institutionally racist and discriminatory at a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority on May 25.

Sir Iain 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.”

First Minister Humza Yousaf described the statement as “historic” and “monumental”.

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.