Ex officer sent ‘funny’ police reports to friends

AFORMER police sergeant has been found guilty of gross misconduct after sending ‘‘funny’’ screenshots of police reports to her friends.

PS Carolyn Witts, who retired after 31 years of service with West Midlands Police, was investigated after five call logs were forwarded to two people via WhatsApp because she found the contents amusing.

Working as a call handler and supervisor for the force at the time, she mocked the word ‘FabSwingers’ as a concerned member of the public reported fearing for her safety from someone she met on the swinging site. In a second log forwarded to a friend, an officer questioned why a motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet and was told by the rider his ‘‘turban absorbed’’ any shock and would prevent injuries.

Representing the force at a misconduct hearing, David Messling said: “It is not simply an anonymous screenshot, there is an address that identities a particular street in Coventry. The caller has called the police and explained that she is particularly concerned that someone she met on FabSwingers is causing her concern.

“It was noted that the caller was really concerned for her safety and her employment because she worked for a school. It was clearly a sensitive and delicate matter she trusted police with.

“It is very clear no staff should send matters of West Midlands Police from personal social media accounts,” he said. This included WhatsApp, he added.

Miss Witts’ offences, which took place between August 2018 and February 2019, breached policing standards including discreditable conduct, authority, respect and courtesy and confidentiality.

Defending, Sharon Bahia, told the panel it was the ‘‘words’’ within the specific police logs that the sergeant found amusing, rather than the crimes themselves.

She said: “What is clear to us is that this was not planned activity, it was not malicious and it would not have allowed the individual to be identified. Nobody is suggesting the officer found the crime [itself] was funny. It was an ill-judged comment in the heat of the moment.

She continued: “31 years is a considerable service, not a single blemish on that whole period, showing how out of character these breaches, which amounts to gross misconduct, were. She is retired; she could have just said, ‘Do what you are going to do’, but she has not, she has engaged with the process. This is not how she wanted her career to end,” Ms Bahia added.

Character references branded the sergeant ‘reassuring, popular and an approachable supervisor’.

Though her behaviour amounted to gross misconduct, Miss Witts had already retired, leaving ‘‘options limited’’ for the panel.

Chair of the panel, Mr Harry Ireland concluded no further action would be taken. He said: “It was an abuse of her position, given what she was doing at the time in her work.”