AN ORGANISATION aimed at stamping out racism within the Scottish police service was launched this morning at Tulliallan.

Guest speaker at the police college was justice minister Cathy Jamieson, who talked about the Scottish Executive’s commitment to promoting equality through their One Scotland—Many Cultures campaign.

Supporting Ethnic Minority Police Staff for Equality in Race, known as SEMPERscotland, is an independent body affiliated to other organisations such as the Scottish Police Federation, Unison and the National Black Police Association. It has been created in the wake of the McPherson Report on the inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence, which criticised the culture of “institutionalised racism” operating in police forces throughout the UK.

Since the report, British police have been forced to take a long, hard look at their attitude towards ethnic minorities.

While problems associated with racism are more severe in England, the Scottish police service believe that things could still be a lot better north of the border.

SEMPERscotland will therefore provide a support network for ethnic minority staff and act as an advisory body to the Scottish police service on issues of race equality and anti-discriminatory practice.

It will influence the direction of policies and procedures both within the police service and in the wider criminal justice system. Ms Jamieson said, “Even though Scotland is a relatively small country in terms of its population we are becoming an increasingly multicultural society.

“It is important that all of us can be confident that we will be treated fairly and with respect, irrespective of our background.

“There is no place for racist attitudes and actions in our country and no-one has the right to be hostile or derogatory to anyone else because of the colour of their skin, their race or ethnic or cultural background.”