Sir Iain Livingstone is to retire as chief constable in the summer
The chief constable of Police Scotland has admitted that the force is institutionally racist and discriminatory.
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 and sexism 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.
Speaking at a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority on Thursday morning, Sir Iain said: “It is right for me, as Chief Constable, to clearly state that institutional racism, sexism, misogyny and discrimination exist.
“Police Scotland is institutionally discriminatory and racist. Publicly acknowledging these issues exist institutionally is essential to our absolute commitment to championing equality and becoming an anti-racist service,
“It is also critical to our determination to lead wider change in society.”
Sir Iain, who is to retire on 10 August, admitted that people from different backgrounds or with different requirements “don’t always get the service that is their right”.
He said was also true for the force’s own officers and staff.
