Police Scotland is institutionally discriminatory. The system is failing us all.

As of August 2023, 319 officers of Police Scotland are currently under criminal investigation. 

In March 2023, more than 80 officers were being investigated for racism or misconduct of a sexual nature.

But we know that these numbers do not capture the full picture, with police officers branding the internal complaints process as “psychological abuse” for those making the complaint. How can the public trust a service to support victims of crime when victim-blaming is a central pillar of the internal culture?

It is in your power to make a real difference.

We are campaigning to bring about radical change to Police Scotland to make it a force fit to serve us all

By signing our letter to the new Chief Constable of Police Scotland, you join the collective call for urgent, meaningful action to rebuild public trust and eradicate systemic issues within Police Scotland. 

Together, we can be the driving force for change.

Below you can read our letter to Chief Constable Jo Farrell and sign in support to let your voice be heard.

Dear Chief Constable Farrell,

On 30th November 2023, we sent you a letter asking you to act within your first 100 days in office to root out misogyny and racism within Police Scotland. We are disappointed that you have not responded to our letter and that no clear action has been taken to tackle this problem since you came into post.

We are campaigning to bring about radical change to Police Scotland to make it a force fit to serve the people of Scotland. Misogyny, racism and discrimination are baked into the force’s culture, and it is your responsibility to push through fundamental reform to eradicate these systemic problems. 

The statistics speak volumes:

• As of August 2023, 319 police officers are currently under criminal investigation. 
• In March 2023, more than 80 officers were being investigated for racism or misconduct of a sexual nature.

But we know that these numbers do not capture the full picture. Police officers have branded the internal complaints process as “psychological abuse” for the complainant and have stated that those who do complain face negative consequences. 

It is in your power to make a real difference:

• We expect you to fully support the delivery of all the recommendations of the 2020 Dame Elish Angiolini report on the Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in relation to Policing. 
• We urge you to fully support Angela Voulgari in her deep dive case study on Police Scotland’s work on sexism and misogyny for the second interim report.
• We also insist that you use your office to fully support the ongoing Sheku Bayoh Inquiry and take a proactive approach to the eventual findings of the investigation. 

And finally:

• We implore you to publish your plan to root out misogyny, racism and discrimination in Police Scotland, and to within it prioritise full transparency of measures and progress as well as allowing for public feedback and review. 
• We urge you to ask the government to launch a statutory inquiry to specifically investigate the racism and misogyny in Police Scotland.

The Scottish public trust in policing is shockingly low at 38%. Every day the depth and breadth of the structural misogyny and racism becomes more apparent. 

You have taken the first step by acknowledging the problems exist, now we need to see urgent and consistent action.

Please be bold and act today,

The Scotland Branches of the Women’s Equality Party

Agnes Tolmie, Chair of the Scottish Women's Convention