Under consideration PE2275: Ban Police Scotland Stop and Search and warrantless collection of personal data!
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to amend criminal law to completely ban Police Scotland’s practice of Stop and Search and the street-level collection of personal data without a prior judicial warrant. These powers are exploited for mass surveillance, intimidation, and suppression of freedoms. The government must strip the police of these coercive tools and introduce strict automatic sanctions for any unauthorized interference with citizens' private lives. Stop turning Scotland into a police state!
Background information
Current legislation has turned Police Scotland into an instrument of legalized surveillance. The powers to collect data under the threat of arrest and conduct street searches rely on subjective "reasonable grounds," which in practice serve as a cover for discrimination and police abuse.
I have personally faced the humiliating Stop and Search procedure solely because of the black colour of my clothing. I was searched without any real reason right on the street, being treated like a criminal. This is an absolute disgrace!
In 2025/26, 74.4% of searches yielded nothing, yet people's personal data settles in databases, forming an architecture of total control. We demand radical change: any street search or demand for identification must be conducted exclusively with a judicial warrant for a specific individual. Without a warrant, the police have no right to demand data. If this practice continues, Scotland is heading directly towards a North Korean regime.
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