Police Scotland consider stopping recording non-crime hate incidents

[ArabellaScott]

Which is a nice wee glimmer of common sense.

Shortly to be eclipsed by the jack-boot shiny new Hate Crime Bill coming into force in February, of course.

Which has no threshold for evidence or criminality. The ability for anyone anywhere to report a 'hate' crime online, anonymously. And the police are obliged to investigate, no matter how low level or trivial.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12902005/Police-chiefs-consider-ending-practice-logging-trivial-non-crime-hate-incidents-4-000-recorded-year.html

"Latest figures show the force recorded more events where no crime had been committed than genuine hate crimes.

It is now looking at following guidelines set out this year which would stop frivolous cases being recorded as hate incidents.

UK guidance says the fact someone is offended does not on its own qualify an internet post or a public remark to be logged"
...
"The new guidance, which requires officers to prioritise freedom of expression over offensive, controversial or derogatory language, aims to drastically reduce the numbers logged by police for non-crime hate incidents, which stand at some 120,000 across the UK over the past five years."
...
"Police Scotland yesterday defended its record on logging hate incidents.

A spokesman said: ‘… We have a duty to prevent, as well as detect crime and also to work to improve community wellbeing. The recording of such matters is in line with that duty.’"

Just a few key bits. This is welcome news, apart from the police's ridiculous justification. I wonder how much the offical line deviates from the opinion of overwhelmed, under resourced officers on the ground?

Ooh, that claim of “prevent” is just begging for an FOI on how many of those who has a NCHI logged against their name went on to commit an offence; & how many of those offences were hate crimes as opposed to eg getting caught speeding.

Because my guess would be that the supermajority of those NCHIs are the result of TRAs [not] being looked at or [not] looking at something (other senses are available); & that (happily) the [middle-aged] women reported because they eg dared believe human sex is binary & immutable/support women’s right to have same-sex medical examiners after experiencing sexual assault/promote Beira’s Place/oppose the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill; have not gone on to commit transphobic hate crimes. Nor indeed any other type of hate crime. And probably not any other crime full stop: too busy with all the thought crimes.

I don't understand how on one hand they're suggesting withdrawing the bullshit NCHI stuff, but with the other, creating a 'Hate Crime Hub' and bringing in presumably potentially more serious criminal charges that are based on zero evidence.

https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/police-scotland-readies-itself-for-activation-of-hate-crime-law

oooh. I'd missed this:

https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/controversial-hate-crime-bill-faces-further-delays/

'In September, the First Minister said the hate crime legislation will be implemented “in early 2024”.
But it now appears unlikely that timetable can be met.
Hate crime unitPolice Scotland was advised to set up a specialist hate crime unit amid concerns about officers enforcing the complex new law. But it will rely on online training for its 16,400 officers, starting this month – prompting the Scottish Police Federation to warn that this could take up to 12 months to complete.
Police Scotland said it had “never confirmed it will set up a dedicated hate crime unit”.
It added: “It was recommended that we consider creating one in the HMICs Assurance Review of Hate Crime.”
The force said the training package “has not yet been rolled out internally across the service” adding it was “unable to confirm the launch date”.
Last week, Police Scotland’s new chief constable, Jo Farrell, requested an extra £128 million to recruit a further 1,100 officers over the next two years.
David Kennedy, General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, warned: “The Hate Crime laws in particular are extremely complex because of the new areas they cover, but Police Scotland intend training officers online.
“That is simply unacceptable because there is no facility to be able to ask questions.
“We fear this is going to lead to people who shouldn’t be ending up in court, and those who should be ending up in court not doing so.
“The whole thing is going to take at least another year to train officers, and if they insist on doing it all online, it will end in chaos.”'

And:

'Criminology experts are deeply concerned that the new laws will further anger women concerned with getting a criminal record over a difference of belief on sex and gender.
Crime and policy expert Dr Kath Murray of high-profile research think-tank Murray Blackburn Mackenzie said: “We remain concerned about the lack of clarity as to what could constitute stirring up hatred in relation to transgender identity.”
Murray said it was of concern that “frontline responsibility for this flawed and opaque legislation now lies with Police Scotland”.
She said: “Training for most officers is to be limited to an online package.”'

“Online package…” maybe we could offer to facilitate some of it. At least it would be a bit of craic for them, & they could learn actual law, not Stonewall law.

I'd be delighted to offer training. As a non binary person.

I’m agender. Not as they mean it, but still, agender. And happy to help with the agenda 😁