‘I was stopped and searched as young boy’ – first minister

First Minister Humza Yousaf hailed the statement from the outgoing chief constable of Police Scotland – that the force is “institutionally racist” – as “historic” and “monumental”.

Sir Iain Livingstone told a meeting of the Scottish Police Authority that it is important to “acknowledge the issues within the force”.

His comments came part way through a public inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh, a black man who died after being taken into police custody in 2015.

Mr Yousaf told how he had challenged “racism in the police force” when he was younger after being stopped and searched several times.

Speaking during First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood, the SNP leader said: “There is no doubt that institutional racism exists in our society, and I want to take a moment just to say as a person of colour the statement from the chief constable is monumental, historic.

“I remember raising issues around racism in the police force, Strathclyde Police as it was back then, when I was stopped and searched over a dozen times as young boy, whether it was in my car, walking with my friends in the streets, in airports.

“So acknowledgement from the chief constable is very welcome indeed.”

Mr Yousaf stressed Sir Iain’s comments are not an “inference on individual police officers, who we know put themselves in harm’s way to protect us day in and day out”.

Acknowledging the problems of institutional racism and institutional misogyny within the force was the “first step that is required in order to then dismantle those institutional and structural barriers”.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, whose wife is a serving police officer, called for urgent action to “overhaul how Police Scotland handles legitimate complaints from within the force”.

Claiming the current

system is “not fit for purpose”, Mr Ross said: “Officers should be able to raise legitimate issues without suffering any consequences.”

Mr Yousaf pledged to look at the issue, as he highlighted the importance of culture within the police force, saying “that is why the chief constable’s statement was so monumental, because it is demonstrating from the very, very top of the organisation that culture simply is not acceptable”.

Mr Ross raised the issue of police budgets, saying trade union Unison has complained about a £74 million shortfall as he voiced concerns officers are “being asked to do too much with too little”.

He said: “None of that excuses discrimination, but it is a serious problem limiting Police Scotland’s ability to change.”

Mr Yousaf agreed “funding can never be an excuse for institutional racism, institutional misogyny”.

He added: “We have invested more than £11.6 billion in policing since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013.”

Speaking after FMQs, Mr Yousaf reflected on his own experiences with the police.

He said: “I felt quite emotional, I have to say, listening to the chief constable as he was making his statement today.

“I can think of well over a dozen times where I was stopped and searched as a young teenager walking the streets with my friends – never doing anything wrong.”

Humza Yousaf.