Police admit blowing £60k of your cash on Hate Monster
SCOTLAND’S cashstrapped police force has come under fire after spending more than £60,000 on a hate crime campaign.
The Hate Monster initiative has been slated for demonising young working class men and suggesting those from poorer backgrounds are hate crime’s worst offenders.
Figures released under Freedom of Information by Police Scotland show £61,931 was spent on the campaign last year – the equivalent of two trainee officers’ salaries.
A further breakdown shows advertising cost £50,864, with £3,300 spent on creative development and £7,766 on additional production costs, including Gaelic translations.
Scottish Tory justice spokesman Russell Findlay said: ‘Squandering a substantial sum of taxpayers’ cash on the ludicrous Hate Monster is an affront, especially with Police Scotland officers under massive pressure due to Humza Yousaf’s hate crime law.
‘This costly campaign was patronising, embarrassing and offensive, although this does not surprise when we have an out-of-touch SNP government that looks down on ordinary Scots.
‘The hate crime law should go the same way of the Hate Monster – and be put out of its misery for all our sake.’ The police hate campaign, which ran for six weeks in spring last year, featured a video commentary saying: ‘The Hate Monster represents that feeling some people get when they are frustrated and angry and take it out on others.
‘We know that young men aged 18-30 are most likely to commit hate crime, particularly those from socially excluded communities who are influenced by their peers.
‘They may have deep-rooted feelings of being socially and economically disadvantaged, combined with ideas about white-male entitlement.’
The campaign featured an angry orange figure, with potential offenders urged: ‘Be good to yourself. Don’t feed the Hate Monster.’
Ivan McKee, the MSP for Glasgow Provan, one of Scotland’s most deprived areas, slated the campaign last month at First Ministers Questions.
He said: ‘Police Scotland’s hate crime website explicitly stereotypes young, working class men from constituencies like mine as most likely to commit a hate crime.’
First Minister Humza Yousaf appeared to agree with him, adding: ‘When it comes to any marketing, any awareness campaigns that are done, it’s exceptionally important that there’s no stigmatisation of any communities.’
Yesterday, Police Scotland said the Hate Monster campaign was not connected to the introduction of the new Hate Crime and Public Order Act on April 1.
A spokesman added: ‘The campaign was developed by Police Scotland using recognised industry practice.’
Police Scotland also says an in-house team was used to keep costs to a minimum, with 142,000 people watching the Hate Monster video during the campaign.
Much of the criticism of the Hate Monster initiative came last month in the run-up to the new hate crime Bill.
Police Scotland has recently announced a raft of cost cutting measures, including proposals to close up to 29 police stations across the country.
The number of officers in the force is at an all-time low of just over 16,300.
‘Embarrassing and offensive’