A police officer in Northern Ireland has been sacked after sending “highly inappropriate and offensive” messages via WhatsApp.
The office of the Police Ombudsman said the messages, which were sent while the officer was on duty, contained material which was sectarian, racist, homophobic, anti-semitic, misogynistic and sexualised.
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said the behaviour of the officer had “no place in policing”.
The complainant contacted the Police Ombudsman when the officer continued to send the material, despite being asked to stop on two occasions.
Nikki Davis, director of investigations at the ombudsman’s office, said: “Digital analysis of the police officer’s phone showed that he had sent multiple images and videos, which were highly inappropriate and offensive, to the complainant, other members of the public and other police officers
“This was not a one-off, isolated incident, which could potentially be attributed to a lapse in judgment.
“It was sustained, consistent behaviour, exacerbated by the police officer’s view, when interviewed by our investigators, that he did not consider the material to be offensive or his actions to be in breach of the PSNI Code of Ethics.”
Mrs Davis added: “When this kind of messaging specifically targets women and combines sexual, racist and sectarian references, it moves into the realm of online gender-based hate speech
“For a police officer to display these attitudes and behaviours towards women is unacceptable, and specifically undermines the PSNI’s commitment to ending violence against women and girls.
“However, this case demonstrates that allegations of misconduct will be robustly investigated and that officers will be held to account, all of which contributes positively to public confidence in policing.”
Following the conclusion of the Police Ombudsman investigation, a file was submitted to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) in relation to the potential offences of Misconduct in Public Office and sending grossly offensive messages contrary to the Communications Act (2003).
The PPS directed no prosecution.
A misconduct file was then submitted to the PSNI Professional Standards Department.
The Chief Constable held a special hearing, after which the police officer was dismissed.
He was found to have breached a number of articles of the PSNI Code of Ethics, including those relating to professional duty, equality and integrity.
Eight police officers, who received the messages and failed to report or challenge them, were referred to the PSNI in relation to potential breaches of the code of ethics.
The Police Ombudsman received the complaint about the police officer in July 2023.
The office has previously called for fast-tracking powers in cases where it is clear from an early stage in an investigation that there is criminality or gross misconduct which could result in an officer being dismissed without undue delay.
The chairman of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Liam Kelly, said such behaviour would not be tolerated.
He said: “Police officers are held to the highest possible standards both on and off duty.
“Behaviour such as this case has rightly resulted in dismissal from service and should serve as a timely reminder that similar behaviour is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
Chief Constable Mr Boutcher said there was “no excuse” for the behaviour of the officer.
He said: “The messages repeatedly shared by this former constable were shocking, wholly inappropriate and discriminatory.
“The attitudes of sectarianism, racism, homophobia, antisemitism and misogyny within these messages have no place in policing.
“The police officers who received the messages and failed to report or challenge them were subject to management action in relation to potential breaches of our code of ethics.
“A further three officers have been dismissed without notice in recent months in similar circumstances following wholly inappropriate material being shared amongst groups.”
He added: “Police officers exercise significant powers, and it is vital that there is an accountability framework for officers.
“If the public is to have confidence that we will police without prejudice and fairly, it is essential that just as we, as the police service, pursue perpetrators in our communities, we are as committed to rooting out those that may be in our own ranks.”
