Bradford, UK — A misconduct hearing is set to take place later this month for eight officers from West Yorkshire Police, including six currently serving members and two former officers, following allegations of sharing offensive and derogatory posts in a WhatsApp group.
The hearing will be conducted at Trafalgar House police station in Bradford on September 30. The officers involved are PS Otter, PC Hillyard, PC X, PC Hawkins, PC Habeeb, PC Riddett, and former officers PC T Harrison and PC M Harrison. The full names of the officers have not yet been disclosed.
According to West Yorkshire Police, the allegations stem from posts made in the group between July 31, 2020, and September 11, 2021. The police statement indicated that the content of these posts is not just inappropriate and offensive but also severe enough to raise significant concerns regarding the officers’ conduct.
The officers are accused of breaching several essential standards of professional behaviour, including:
Confidentiality: The officer allegedly failed to respect sensitive information and made disclosures without a lawful policing purpose.
Equality and Diversity: The conduct is described as discriminatory and does not align with the principles of fairness and impartiality.
Discreditable Conduct is Any Action that could undermine public trust in the police service, coupled with a failure to challenge or report inappropriate content within the group.
If proven, these allegations of gross misconduct could result in dismissal for those involved, highlighting the severe implications of their actions on the police force’s reputation. The upcoming hearing, a crucial step in the process, aims to address these issues and uphold the standards expected of law enforcement personnel.
An inquiry concerning accusations of inappropriate messages in a WhatsApp group is scheduled to occur.
