Sexism row over top officer and warning on gun patrol WPCs
A SEXISM row erupted yesterday after a Police Scotland inspector said female firearms officers should not be deployed together if men were available.
An internal email advised officers that ‘physical capacity’ and the ‘balance of testosterone’ should be taken into account when deploying armed officers.
In the message, sent earlier this year, the officer acknowledged he leaves himself open to accusations of sexism.
However, the unnamed inspector refuted that and said his suggestion was based on his ‘experience in the firearms and routine policing environment’.
Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf yesterday described the language used in the email as ‘utterly intolerable’, while Police Scotland said the officer was investigated over the email and has since apologised.
The message read: ‘I’m going to plunge in with both feet and open myself up to being accused of being sexist!
‘For operational reasons I don’t want to see 2 x female officers deployed together when there are sufficient male staff on duty. This is based on my experience in the firearms and routine policing environment, other than the obvious differencies [sic] in physical capacity, it makes more sense from a search, balance of testosterone perspective.
‘If you want to discuss, my door is open.’
It concludes: ‘Ladies, for the purpose of transparency I have included you in this email.’
The force added that the temporary inspector, based in the east of Scotland, had been issued with ‘corrective advice’.
Mr Yousaf said: ‘That language is utterly intolerable. That is not the kind of language I would expect any police officer – junior or senior – to be using. But it will be for the chief constable, undoubtedly, to investigate and we will leave that in his hands.’
Labour justice spokesman Daniel Johnson said: ‘This is an outrageous email that speaks to something much wider about how armed policing is being managed.
‘I also am concerned the police’s response to this was to accept the wording of the email was wrong, while failing to comment on the substance of the matter – the order that two women officers should not be deployed together.’
Mr Johnson added: ‘It is imperative that Police Scotland and the SPA deal with the structural sexism and cultural problems that seems to have taken hold of the armed policing unit.’
Police Scotland has 572 authorised firearms officers – 539 male and 33 female.
Chief Superintendent Matt Richards, divisional commander for specialist services, said: ‘The email was dealt with immediately and the matter was investigated fully.
‘The officer accepts the wording was unacceptable and does not meet our values of fairness, integrity and respect. He was spoken to by senior management and issued with corrective advice.’
Mr Richards added: ‘The officer has apologised and the matter was dealt with internally.’
The row comes only months after Police Scotland was accused of ‘going back to the 1970s’ after posting online a snap of three female police officers with the caption ‘more than just pretty faces’.
It was published on Edinburgh Police Divisison’s Facebook page as part of a drive aimed at recruiting female special constables.
‘That language is utterly intolerable’