Scottish Police May Gain Power to Demand Removal of Face Coverings

Police in Scotland could soon be granted the authority to compel individuals to remove balaclavas and other face coverings. This potential shift in power has received backing from the convener of Holyrood’s Criminal Justice Committee, David Linden.

Linden, a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, described the issue of face coverings as a "pertinent one." He expressed concern over groups of young men, often dressed entirely in black and wearing balaclavas, who he said are "terrifying communities." Linden also highlighted what he termed an "epidemic" of e-bikes and e-scooters being ridden by young people, frequently while also wearing face coverings.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Breakfast programme, Linden stated, "I fear we are getting to a point where someone is going to get seriously injured, or worse still killed." He characterized the situation as "how serious this situation has become, particularly in our city and urban communities." He further described "young men roaming around now, dressed in black, wearing face coverings, terrifying people," and insisted, "We need to get a grip of this."

Linden noted that the city of Nottingham has recently empowered its police and council officers to order the removal of face coverings when used to conceal identity during anti-social behavior. He indicated he would be "exploring" with the Scottish Government whether similar measures could be implemented in Scotland.

"We have entered new territory with people wearing face coverings, often complemented with people dressed completely in black," Linden said. "That is unsettling for people in our communities, so I do want to work with the Cabinet Secretary (for Justice) to see, do we need to look at a situation where the police are given more powers, because we cannot have a situation where people, whether they are adults who should know better, or young people, are roaming around with balaclavas. We live in the 21st century and this is just not acceptable for people."

The MSP attributed the problem partly to "cultural issues starting to arise with young men" who he said are "roaming around in packs and dressing the same."

David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation (SPF), also voiced support for increased police powers regarding face coverings. He stated there is a need to "do more on face coverings," asserting that police should have "powers to remove them, to see who the individuals are."

During his interview on BBC Radio Scotland, Kennedy emphasized the need for a "law change" to grant police more authority. "We are able to remove them on certain occasions, but it needs to be more matter of fact that they (police officers) can do it," he said.

Kennedy acknowledged that there may be individuals with religious or medical reasons for wearing face coverings. However, he stressed the importance of police officers on the street having the authority to "tell them to remove their mask so they can see who they are" when encountering someone.

Additionally, Kennedy raised concerns that individuals on e-bikes and e-scooters who wear balaclavas might not be wearing helmets, stating, "If you are on an e-bike and you are wearing a face covering, the concern I have got is you are not wearing a helmet. I don’t see many people travelling about the city centre on e-bikes wearing helmets."