Police Scotland swamped with more than 7,000 complaints in first week of new hate crime laws

Cops were swamped with thousands of anonymous complaints in the week after Scotland's controversial new hate crime laws took effect, the force has confirmed.

Analysis by Police Scotland published showed just 240 crimes and 30 non-crime incidents were ultimately recorded from 7,152 complaints in the week beginning April 1.

The force said the vast majority of complainers chose to remain anonymous when completing the online complaint form.

The new hate crime legislation came into force on April 1 an immediately prompted a massive backlash from critics including JK Rowling who worried it would curtail free speech.

The law also proved a headache for cops as the simple process to record a complaint was quickly shared on social media - with thousands of pointless allegations logged as a result.

Nearly half of all the complaints made online were filed on April 1.

The Scottish Police Federation (SPF) - which represents rank-and-file officers - today branded the new law "a financial disaster in the making".

David Kennedy, SPF general secretary, said: "Officer numbers in Scotland are down by 1,000. We are asked to take a proportionate response and not investigate minor crimes.

"Now we have this new law which is complicated and confusing for members of the public to understand, which is causing an avalanche of reports that Police Scotland have to review, with only a handful actually being true hate crimes.

"It’s a financial disaster in the making and at no time was any financial provision afforded to the service when the law came into force.

"The amount of police time that is being wasted is not proportionate to the outcome. We wait to see what the stats will say in the days and weeks ahead as ultimately if this continues it will have an impact on all policing."

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "This data highlights the substantial increase in the number of online hate reports being received since April 1.

"This significant demand continues to be managed within our contact centres and so far the impact on frontline policing, our ability to answer calls and respond to those who need our help in communities across Scotland has been minimal.

"All complaints received are reviewed by officers, supported by dedicated hate crime advisers, and dealt with appropriately, whether that is being progressed for further assessment, or closed as they do not meet the criteria under the legislation."

The force previously revealed the majority of complaints had been levelled at JK Rowling and Humza Yousaf.

The multi-millionaire Harry Potter author posted a series of messages on social media on April 1 attacking the legislation and challenging cops to arrest her for misgendering trans people.

Rowling's intervention followed fears the law could criminalise those who criticise the Scottish Government’s policy on gender recognition.

Police Scotland quickly ruled the messages did not constitute a hate crime - but that did not stop complaints pouring in.

Cops also dismissed complaints regarding a speech made by Yousaf in the Scottish Parliament in June 2020, when he was serving as justice secretary.

The now First Minister told MSPs of his own experience of racism following the global uproar at the murder of George Floyd in the US.

Angela Constance, the Justice Secretary, said the 240 hate crimes recorded in the first week proved why the act was needed.

"It is important when we look at the number of hate crimes recorded – 240 – by Police Scotland in one week alone, I think that demonstrates that this legislation is required and needed to protect marginalised and vulnerable communities most at risk of racial hatred and prejudice," she said.

Concerns had been raised ahead of the legislation being enforced on the readiness of officers to deal with it.

Police Scotland said 80 per cent of officers had now undertaken the two-hour training course on the application of the law.

Ross Greer, a senior Scottish Green MSP, today insisted the laws had not made it illegal to “be an asshole”.

“It’s not illegal to be an asshole now,” he told the BBC. "It was not illegal to be an asshole before and for the last week it has still not been illegal to be an asshole.”

"That doesn’t mean that you should be."

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