Police officer is disciplined over language used against travellers

AWEST Midlands Police officer has been reprimanded for using ‘discriminatory language’ towards a group of travellers in Birmingham.

Pc Paul Birch was given a final written warning for gross misconduct after a four-day hearing by the force.

Police had been called to North Worcestershire Golf Course, in Northfield, in September 2017 following a report that roof tiles were being stolen from a building.

At a trial last August Pc Birch was cleared of racially aggravated wounding after his service dog bit a man at the scene.

But last week a force disciplinary panel found against Pc Birch over his use of language.

Pc Birch was found to have breached ‘professional standards for equality and diversity, as well as authority, respect and courtesy’.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) completed an investigation in May 2018 and forwarded a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider charges.

IOPC regional director for the West Midlands, Derrick Campbell, said: “Footage of the incident during which the man was injured by the police dog was circulated widely on social media at the time. “After a complaint was made we looked at how and why the animal was deployed and whether that was an appropriate use of force.

“It became clear from our investigation that the language used by Pc Birch against the travellers present could be deemed to be discriminatory.

“A disciplinary panel has now ruled that it was unacceptable and amounted to gross misconduct. During our investigation we took statements from officers and the injured man as well as other witnesses. We also reviewed body worn and mobile footage as well as police radio communications during the incident.”

The CPS charged Pc Birch with racially aggravated wounding in October that year and at a trial in August 2019 a judge at Birmingham Crown Court agreed with a defence submission that there was no case to answer and directed the jury to find the officer not guilty.

But the IOPC investigation found a case to answer for gross misconduct against both police officers and directed West Midlands Police to hold the disciplinary hearing following the trial verdict.

Pc Birch and another officer were cleared of breaching standards of honesty and integrity by allegedly colluding over their accounts after Pc Birch’s police dog had seized and injured the man who was with the travellers, and was subsequently arrested.