Police Scotland Chief Condemned for Branding Force Institutionally Racist

David Threadgold, the federation's secretary, said the comments made by Sir Iain have made the job of police officers more difficult and have upset and offended them.

Sir Iain stated that Police Scotland is institutionally racist and discriminatory, and called for efforts to improve the situation to be made.

However, many officers believe that Sir Iain's comments have labeled them as institutionally racist and have made it more difficult for them to do their job.

There is a "boys club" culture within Police Scotland, which is evident from former officers' statements to the BBC's Newsnight.

One of them, former firearms officer Rhona Malone, won almost £1m in compensation after she was victimised for raising concerns about sexism.

The force is also facing pressure due to an ongoing public inquiry into the death of Sheku Bayoh, who was restrained by police officers in Kirkcaldy.

A human rights lawyer representing Mr Bayoh's family spoke to the BBC and criticised the Scottish Police Federation for being in denial about discrimination against black, Asian, and female officers.

Sir Iain Blair, the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, has been in the position for six years and is set to retire on August 10.

The force has launched a four-year strategy to tackle discrimination and improve its workplace culture, with a mandatory leadership programme for about 5,000 officers and staff.