Cops face hearings over ‘offensive WhatsApp’ claims
TWO Gwent Police officers and one former officer will face gross misconduct proceedings over allegations of sharing offensive WhatsApp messages.
It comes after an Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation which began after it received a conduct referral from Gwent Police in November 2022.
The referral related to derogatory and inappropriate messages which were found on the phone of deceased former officer Ricky Jones.
During the course of its inquiries the IOPC carried out a digital forensic examination of Mr Jones’ phone which led to the download and analysis of a considerable number of messages exchanged on WhatsApp between Mr Jones and several of his former colleagues.
The police watchdog obtained statements and interviewed individual officers.
The scope of the investigation examined the conduct of seven serving and four former officers.
Since the end of the investigation in October 2023 the IOPC says it has determined that two serving constables and one former constable had a case to answer for gross misconduct for exchanging messages which were of a racist, misogynistic, and homophobic nature.
The IOPC also found evidence that the same officers potentially failed to challenge or report inappropriate messages sent by colleagues.
The three officers will face gross misconduct hearings later this year, which will be arranged by the force.
For a further four serving officers, up to inspector rank, the IOPC found a case to answer at the level of misconduct.
Last month Gwent Police held misconduct meetings for three of the officers for allegedly failing to challenge and report inappropriate messages sent by colleagues.
The case was proven for two officers who were sanctioned with a written a warning.
For a third officer misconduct was not proven and they will take part in reflective practice, the IOPC said.
A misconduct meeting also took place for a fourth officer who was not investigated for offensive messages but was alleged to have provided confidential police information to a member of the public.
Misconduct was proven and the officer received a written warning.
This officer had previously been advised they were under criminal investigation but it was found that their conduct did not meet the threshold for a referral to the Crown Prosecution Service.
In respect of another serving officer and as a result of its inquiries the IOPC withdrew its criminal and gross misconduct investigation over the alleged unauthorised disclosure of police information.
The watchdog added there will not be any further action in relation to three more former officers.
Two officers resigned from the force while being investigated for misconduct only and therefore the IOPC said it has no jurisdiction to reach a decision as to whether they have a case to answer.
Another former officer, against whom it considered there was an indication of gross misconduct, left the force several years prior to the start of the investigation which means, under the regulations, it cannot make a decision on a case to answer for them.
IOPC director David Ford said: “The content of some of the messages we examined raised serious concerns about the conduct of those police officers involved. We did not find any evidence to substantiate an allegation that Gwent Police tried to cover up inappropriate messages, which might have indicated corruption.
“The evidence showed that the searches police carried out on Ricky Jones’ phone were reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances at the time.”
The IOPC said it has shared its decisions with Mr Jones’ family. Wiltshire Police are continuing to separately investigate complaints made by the family of Mr Jones which focus on Gwent Police’s handling of its investigation into his death and the contact officers had with them.