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Pride and Prejudice: A Review of police Race Relations in Scotland

Chapter One Strategic Drivers

1.1This report provides a review of police race relations in Scotland for 2003. The influences and drivers which apply are as numerous as they are varied.

1.2 To a considerable extent, this report builds on the continuing response to the Stephen Lawrence Report ⁷ to which each police force in Scotland has implemented a response. At a national level, this was co-ordinated by a cross functional team of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS). This team, which also comprised police staff associations and the Scottish Executive, produced and published strategic documents ⁸ which set out the future direction of the police on issues of race relations.

1.3 In January 2000, the Scottish Executive convened a Steering Group chaired by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice, Mr Jim Wallace QC MSP. This Group contained agencies of the criminal justice system including HMIC, the police staff associations, and a number of independent members from a variety of perspectives. The Steering Group set out to oversee the implementation of the Lawrence Inquiry Recommendations in Scotland, producing and reviewing an action plan ⁹ on each of the seventy recommendations. The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland consulted the Steering Group on a range of developing issues including recruitment, training, complaints, consulting with communities, and dealing with racist incidents.

1.4 There was an HMIC inspection of police race relations in Scotland in 2000. The resulting report commented 'while most forces had a race relations policy not all forces linked this to effective action. Not all policies were supported by clear action plans... Despite some obviously good intentions detailed policies mean little in a real life context if the principles are not understood and acted upon at street level.'¹⁰ To all intents and purposes there was a 'policy - practice gap'.

1.5 Another key driver for this inspection, which originally came from a Lawrence Inquiry Recommendation, has been the implementation of the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 which has introduced a positive duty on a wide range of public authorities to promote racial equality and prevent racial discrimination. These authorities have had to prepare and publish race equality schemes during 2002. In particular the police service, which was previously exempt from many aspects of race relations legislation, now falls fully within the race relations legal framework with chief constables having vicarious liability for the actions of police staff. This inspection allows for an assessment of how Scotland's police forces have prepared for this legislative change.

1.6 The murder of Surjit Singh Chhokar in North Lanarkshire in 1998 is a critical factor in this inspection. The failure to convict the persons responsible, and the subsequent inquiries ¹¹ into that failure carried out in 2001, provided learning points for the police as well as the Crown Office. Indeed, the Inquiry and subsequent Report by Dr Jandoo served as a trigger for the HMIC review of police race relations in Scotland. Although many of the points relevant to the police are covered in the recently published HMIC report on family liaison, ¹² several aspects focused solely on race issues. An example of this was the call for effective ethnic monitoring within the criminal justice system - an issue which is looked at further in Chapter 4.

1.7 In May 2002, ACPOS formally brought its business arrangements on race and community relations within a substantive standing committee, chaired by a chief constable and with senior representation from all police forces. This consolidated the networks and policy making groups which had evolved in response to the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report.

1.8 There are also influences to this report which are less well documented within the Scottish Police Service. As far as possible, HMIC has tried to seek out the issues which are likely to impact heavily upon police race relations in Scotland in the future.

1.9 The subject of asylum and immigration is covered in depth. This phenomenon has come to Scotland on a large scale only very recently and there are many connecting issues for the police which look set to develop and increase in the years ahead. Asylum and immigration is an area reserved to the UK Government under the Scotland Act 1998, as are many aspects of race relations. Policing of course is a devolved area within criminal justice and this potential dichotomy for police race relations needs to be considered further.

1.10 There is also a focus on issues of community cohesion - a subject which is integral to the response by the authorities in England when dealing with urban deprivation - and one which is relevant in Scotland in complementing community planning and social inclusion.

1.11 A timeline of the past few years illustrates the major policy influences on race relations for the Scottish Police Service.

1.12 During its inspection, HMIC has found that a great deal of progress has been made by the Scottish Police Service. Across Scotland and in all environments, people in the community offered praise and gratitude towards the police for the service they were delivering at a local level. Indeed, unprompted views were often presented which suggested the police service was ahead of other agencies in the public sector in encouraging positive race relations. Qualitative judgement would suggest the policy practice gap is closing, albeit quantitative forensic analysis of progress cannot yet be readily demonstrated as comprehensive data gathering for performance indicators only commenced in 2002/03. Nevertheless, HMIC believes that the Scottish Police Service has significantly improved the strength of its race relations in recent years and this is an aspect of its service in which it is entitled to hold a measure of pride. HMIC will continue to develop the monitoring of performance indicators on race relations within the mainstream inspection programme.

1.13 Whilst real and positive progress is acknowledged, there is much that remains to be done. Just as good evidence was found of developing race relations, for example in the spheres of racist incident response, training and community consultation; so there were also instances where police service and knowledge could have been better, for example in the use and application of positive action. It is a reality that poor police service has an impact far beyond the immediate circumstances and consequences. It is for this reason that complacency must never be allowed to feature.

1.14 There will always be a sensitivity to police race relations given the potential for tension which exists between the investigation of crime and maintaining good public relations, and between working with other agencies towards the integration of minorities and the rigours of the immigration process. Racism, ignorance and prejudice in society remain harsh realities of this new century. It is the responsibility of the community and its police to continue working together for strong, supportive and sustained community relations.

1.15 Pride can be a positive influence. Pride in the community, pride in cultural diversity, pride in being a welcoming nation, pride in delivering a professional service - these are all attributes to be pursued. In turn, pride must also be measured to ensure it does not turn to arrogance or complacency. Prejudice however, cannot be condoned in any form. By definition, prejudice is preconceived and therefore ill-informed. For policing, prejudice will manifest itself at best as stereotyping and at worst as open discrimination. The future of police race relations in Scotland involves both pride and prejudice, working for the correct measure of one and the removal of another.

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