Police Scotland is grappling with potential budgetary pressures and service reductions. David Threadgold of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) has raised concerns about the financial impact of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act. According
to him, the legislation has already led to an overload of calls, with over 6,000 logged since its enactment. Threadgold's worry centers on the unforeseen costs of handling these cases, particularly the overtime payments for control room staff. He
believes these expenses will reverberate throughout the year, affecting other police services. Calum Steele, former general secretary of the SPF, echoes these concerns. As reported by The Scotsman, Steele criticized Police Scotland's preparation for the
Act, calling it negligently unprepared and pointing out that the additional costs were predictable. The legislation's impact extends beyond financial strains. The Act has resulted in a notable rise in the logging of non-crime hate incidents,
incidents perceived as hateful but not necessarily criminal. This increase has prompted concerns about a potential inundation of trivial or malicious complaints, especially in the context of highly charged events like football matches. Tory MSP Murdo
Fraser has already lodged a complaint over a tweet he posted being logged as a hate incident. | 
