Police Scotland challenged over fears of racial profiling
Speaking in Parliament, the Scottish Greens justice spokesperson, Maggie Chapman MSP, cited evidence suggesting people from minority ethnic communities are up to 20 times more likely to be stopped by police officers in Scotland under counter terrorism powers.
Maggie added that such a practice would be “unacceptable” and questioned why there was such an imbalance.
Speaking afterwards Maggie said:
“These figures are very concerning and suggest that Police Scotland is using racial profiling, which is totally unacceptable. How else could we have such a massive imbalance?
“It’s also counterproductive. Racial profiling is a discriminatory practice that harms community relations and puts up walls rather than building bridges. It is incompatible with a forward-looking and progressive Scotland that welcomes refugees and other immigrants."
The figures first emerged following an investigation published in December detailing the statistics.