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Eight officers from West Yorkshire Police have been dismissed following an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) into discriminatory, offensive and bullying messages shared on WhatsApp.
The IOPC began an investigation following a referral from the force in November 2021, after a number of officers raised concerns about the behaviour of a group of officers based in Pudsey, Leeds. While the investigation focused on the conduct of 12 officers involved in a WhatsApp conversation, some of the people the IOPC spoke with raised wider concerns about bullying behaviour within the team.
Following the investigation’s conclusion in November 2022, all 12 officers faced disciplinary proceedings, with eight having a case to answer for gross misconduct.
At a hearing that concluded on 20 December, the disciplinary panel found a total of 67 allegations proven at the level of gross misconduct, a further 38 proven at the level of misconduct and 20 allegations were found not proven. All eight officers will be added to the police barred list to prevent them being employed in policing in the future.
Of the four officers who had a case to answer for misconduct and, following separate proceedings earlier this year, one received a final written warning, two received written warnings, and one was required to undergo reflective practice.
“The disgraceful behaviour and attitudes we found in these messages are totally unacceptable and have no place in policing. Our investigation has ensured those responsible have received serious sanctions – and that the worst offenders will never again wear the uniform.
“But this case is also a welcome sign of the shifting attitudes within policing to this kind of ‘canteen culture’. I am grateful to those officers who did the right thing by speaking up and exposing the toxicity within their own ranks.
“This is not always easy to do. But calling out poor behaviour needs to become the norm – and that can only happen where colleagues know their concerns will be taken seriously and action taken.
“We know behaviour like this still exists within policing but it is this kind of decisive response from WYP, referring the case for independent scrutiny and acting to address the concerns raised, that sends a clear message about its stance on the issue.”
IOPC Regional Director Emily Barry.
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