TOXIC COPS ARE SACKED
Five officers thrown out after being bugged making racist, sexist and homophobic remarks
Five officers in a ‘toxic’ specialist police unit have been sacked from the force after the team was secretly recorded making a string of racist, sexist and homophobic comments.
Six officers from Hampshire Constabulary’s Serious Organised Crime Unit were found guilty of gross misconduct and all but the most junior officer were yesterday dismissed from the force.
The force’s chief constable yesterday admitted the officers’ behaviour had undermined public trust and ‘damaged the reputation of colleagues’.
The officers accused of gross misconduct were Detective inspector Timothy ireson, Detective Sergeant Oliver Lage, Detective Sergeant Gregory Willcox, trainee Detective Constable Andrew Ferguson, PC James Oldfield, and PC Craig Bannerman.
Di ireson has retired and PC Bannerman resigned since the covert recordings were made between March and April 2018.
Disciplinary panel chairman John Bassett said they would have been dismissed if they hadn’t resigned.
Trainee DC Ferguson was the only member of the disgraced officers to avoid dismissal and was handed a final written warning.
Mr Bassett said: ‘By the time he [Ferguson] joined, the culture in the unit was well established. When he was exposed [to it] the panel accepts he was conflicted by what he witnessed.
‘The panel considers the likelihood of him repeating his conduct remote but he should be under no illusion, were he to breach the standards in any way he would be dismissed.’
The officers had referred to women as ‘whores’, likened their only black officer to a mixed-breed dog, and sang the Bob Marley song Buffalo Soldier at him, suggesting he had been ‘stolen from Africa’.
They also placed a map of Africa above DC Solomon Koranteng’s chair and had named it ‘ African Corner’. Members of the unit sent explicit fake pornographic images of Prince Harry and Kate Middleton to their team WhatsApp group and had joked that Albanian migrants should be shot on entry to Britain.
A bug was planted to make the covert recordings between March 9 and April 2, 2018, following an anonymous complaint to a whistleblowing service. Prosecutor Jason Beer QC said that although the recording only lasted 24 days the investigation uncovered ‘enough racism and sexism to last a lifetime’.
The force’s Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney said the officers had ‘failed to uphold fundamental human rights’ and their shocking behaviour had ‘damaged’ the reputation of colleagues.
‘During the hearing, the panel heard a catalogue of sexist, racist, homophobic and ableist language and commentary that has rightly shocked us all and understandably left people with many questions about how this has been allowed to happen,’ she added.
‘i have always said that policing is built upon the values of professionalism, compassion, courage and integrity and the public have a right to expect the highest standards from the officers and staff who are entrusted to keep them safe.
‘There is no place in my force, or in policing more widely, for those who do not live up to this standard.’