Dundee Evening Telegraph
Students today lodged a letter of complaint with Dundee University over a decision to allow a controversial police unit on to campus.
Tayside Police’s Special Branch community contact unit was set up to gather intelligence from sources such as community leaders so they can identify possible extremists.
The unit was originally set up on a trial basis last year, but Tayside Police soon decided to make it permanent.
A range of student and non-student organisations, such as Dundee Scottish Socialist Youth and the Dundee Student Socialist Society, signed a letter asking to meet with the Student Advisory Service about the activities of the SBCCU.
Angela Gorrie, from Dundee Scottish Socialist Youth said, “Hopefully this will be the start of a dialogue with the Student Advisory service to find out how and why they made the decision to allow the SBCCU on campus.”
Ms Gorrie said the SBCCU would not just target Muslim students and could put students off from getting involved with any political organisations.
“People are afraid they are going to be reported and don’t know what information is being kept on them,” she said.
She said campaigners would now be starting a petition against allowing the SBCCU to carry out its investigations on campus.
A spokesman for the University of Dundee said, “We are aware of the campaign being run by the student socialist group.
“We are aware the Tayside Police community contact unit liaises with a range of faith groups on campus and those contacts are entirely voluntary on the part of those faith groups.
“The university will continue its attendance at Tayside Police’s lay advisory group.”
