Thematic Inspection of Hate Crime

Police Scotland should review the profile of hate crime in strategies and plans, given that it is not currently identified as a standalone strategic priority for the force.

Police Scotland should ensure the national policy direction for hate crime links up with the local delivery and response to hate crime.

Police Scotland should consider establishing a dedicated unit for hate crime.

The Scottish Police Authority should consider how to improve its scrutiny of Police Scotland’s response to hate crime.

Police Scotland should ensure that it maximises the benefits of strong partnership relationships, and shares the knowledge of diversity issues developed by police officers and staff working in Safer Communities roles at national and local levels.

Police Scotland should accelerate its work with partners to improve the Third Party Reporting arrangements, providing people with the option to report hate crime without speaking directly to the police.

Police Scotland should ensure there is transparency of decision making about the themes chosen for national hate crime campaigns, and that there are processes in place to evaluate the impact of campaigns on communities and reporting levels of hate crime.

Police Scotland should review hate crime national documents to ensure there is clear accessible guidance for officers and staff responding to and recording hate crime.

Police Scotland should provide clear guidance to police officers about the importance of submitting intelligence logs relating to hate crime and hate incidents.

Police Scotland should review its use of the data held on IT systems to build knowledge and understanding of trends in hate crime and the impact on affected communities.

Police Scotland should consider good practice elsewhere to improve its response to hate crime. The Scottish Police Authority should use information about good practice elsewhere to ask more effective questions of Police Scotland about its response to hate crime.

Police Scotland should review and revise hate crime training at all levels as a matter of urgency.

Police Scotland should review its approach to dealing with hate crime experienced by police officers and staff on duty and providing effective support. Data should be collected to identify the volume, nature and extent of hate crime perpetrated against police officers and staff.

Police Scotland should review the role, remit, training and deployment of Hate Crime Champions and Hate Crime Advisors.

Police Scotland should ensure that knowledge of hate crime and diversity is included in its consideration of the necessary skillset for planned cybercrime investigators.