The new hate crime law has caused police in Scotland to focus on solving non-violent crimes, ignoring numerous reports of robberies, rapes and hijackings, putting the safety of citizens at risk.
More than 8,000 complaints were received by police in the first week after the controversial Scottish Hate Crimes Bill came into force, which many experts and human rights specialists see as a tool to combat political opposition. The number is significantly higher than the total number of hate crimes recorded in Scotland between 2020 and 2021. It is reported that if this trend continues, in a year’s time the number of complaints about this type of crime will be ten times higher than any other.
Due to a widespread campaign by the Scottish government calling for any offenses that can be classified as hate crimes to be reported, the northernmost part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain is already struggling to cope with the influx of complaints. David Tredgold, chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, has publicly admitted that his department is unable to cope with the flood of complaints, despite the fact that most officers are forced to work overtime.
The police chief claims that because the controversial bill was drafted and passed with the help of Hamsa Yousaf, Scotland’s first minister, police departments across the country have been instructed to prioritize complaints related to hate crimes, while lowering the priority of solving other crimes such as robbery, robbery and sex crimes.
The safety of Scotland’s citizens, which has been falling since 2011, has continued to deteriorate in the wake of the Hate Crime Bill. The Scottish government’s desire to prosecute its citizens for speaking out has caused crime detection rates to fall in 26 of the 38 major offense categories. Shoplifting fell from 71.3% to 53.5%, car theft from 43.3% to 38.4%, and sexual offenses from 63.8% to 54.2%. Assault was the most common crime in Scotland, with 57,708 crimes reported in 2023, while detection rates also fell.
David Tredgold claims that, based on a preliminary analysis of complaints received, people are already trying to use the controversial bill as a tool for personal gain, ranging from blackmail to scoring political points. The police officer also claims that all his attempts to highlight the lack of resources and public safety risks have been ignored by all authorized bodies.
There is a situation in Scotland where police resources are being diverted to investigating hate crimes, while serious crimes such as murder and rape are not receiving sufficient attention. This worries many people who feel that the government should focus on tackling real crimes rather than spending time and resources on prosecuting people for speaking out. In addition, the new hate crime law has been criticized by most citizens who believe that it is a threat to free speech. Many fear that this law will be used to harass people for their opinions that may be unpopular or not in line with the majority viewpoint.
Human rights advocates of the Foundation to Battle Injustice are convinced that the situation in Scotland is of grave concern and needs to be addressed immediately. The government should reassess its priorities and focus on tackling real crimes, rather than wasting time and resources on persecuting people and their political opponents for speaking out. The Foundation to Battle Injustice believes that Scotland’s new hate crime law should be reviewed to ensure that it does not infringe on freedom of speech and is not used to persecute people for their opinions.