Police Scotland pays officers to be ‘Pride’ marchers

Officers in Scotland have been offered financial reward to take part in Pride parades, it has been revealed.

In a leaked Police Scotland memo seen by the Scottish Daily Mail, officers were promised “a shift change or a day back” for being Pride marchers.

A Police Scotland officer recently criticised the force for threatening staff who challenged its pro-trans policy with disciplinary action.

Rainbow epaulettes

The internal memo from Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs encouraged officers to sign up to march at Pride events in Glasgow, West Lothian, Oban and Stirling.

Mairs claimed paid participation was “in line with regulations”, as Pride “is a community engagement opportunity”. He also stipulated that officers should “parade in full uniform”.

On Saturday, around 25 uniformed police officers marched at Pride Glasgow sporting rainbow epaulettes and waving LGBT flags.

‘Astonishing development’

Former General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation Calum Steele called the move an “astonishing development” that raised questions “over the effective use of resources”.

And Cathy Larkman, national policing lead for the campaign group Women’s Right Network and a police officer for over 30 years, called out the directive, for allowing officers to be involved in such “highly political” events.

Defending the decision, Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said: “We value the relationship we have with all diverse groups and it is important Police Scotland is represented at events such as these.”

Gender self-ID

An unnamed officer told the Daily Mail that Police Scotland HR had issued a Stonewall branded policy telling staff that “anyone who tells us they are transgender” must be supported to come to work “in their chosen gender”.

He explained that the policy statement also “allows anyone who is transitioning to use the bathrooms and changing rooms of the ‘sex they are living as’”.

He added: “So in effect all Police Scotland bathrooms and changing rooms are mixed sex. And they have sent a strong message to those who have raised the issue that we better not accidentally ‘out’ a trans officer or we’ll face a gross misconduct inquiry.”