Scotland’s top police officer has admitted that the force is institutionally racist, homophobic, misogynistic and discriminatory.
According to The BBC:
Sir Iain Livingstone said prejudice and bad behaviour within the force was “rightly of great concern”.
He also said that acknowledging the issues exist was vital for real change to happen.
A review recently uncovered first-hand accounts of racism, sexism and homophobia by serving officers.
It also heard about cases where staff had been “punished” for raising concerns.
Sir Iain’s statement is believed to be the first of its kind by a police chief and comes amid ongoing controversy about policing culture in the UK.
But he stressed that his admission of institutional discrimination did not mean that individual officers and staff were racist or sexist and expressed pride and confidence in their work.
Livingstone has been chief constable for six years and is due to retire this summer.
His statement comes after a number of high-profile cases focussing on the conduct of police officers.
An ongoing inquiry into the case of Sheku Bayoh who died in 2015 after he was restrained on the ground by six police officers has been considering whether or not his race played a part in the treatment of him and his family.
Last year, Police Scotland paid out nearly £1m to former constable Rhona Malone after an employment tribunal found a “horrific” culture of misogyny in the force.
