West Yorkshire Police officers have been accused of engaging in a WhatsApp chat rife with “routine misogyny”, “casual racism” and bullying behaviour in a recent misconduct hearing. The hearing shed light on how eight officers based in Pudsey used the social messaging platform to exchange messages containing “derogatory, offensive and discriminatory language”, along with sharing disturbing images and making cruel remarks.
The misconduct panel in Bradford heard how the officers not only made derogatory comments about colleagues and members of the public but also shared images of death scenes, car crashes, missing people, and detainees. Barrister Olivia Checa-Dover, presenting the case against the five serving officers and three former officers involved, stated that they did not deny their participation in the WhatsApp group.
Checa-Dover highlighted that the officers would argue their use of such language and behaviour as a form of “dark humour” and a means to process traumatic experiences and seek support from their peers. However, she questioned the validity of this excuse and compared the officers’ behaviour to that of school children, noting that such conduct is typically outgrown in adulthood.
The barrister presented specific examples of misconduct within the chat, including instances of making offensive remarks about a member of the public, sharing a photo of an Asian detainee with a derogatory caption, and exchanging cruel jokes about colleagues and their family members. She also pointed out the presence of sexual comments and discriminatory language in the conversations.
The misconduct hearing revealed that the conversations were characterised by misogyny, racism, offensive language, and bullying behaviour towards both colleagues and the public. Checa-Dover emphasised that such behaviour not only creates a toxic work environment but also erodes trust between the police force and the community they serve.
The officers involved, including Sgt Mark Otter, Pc Dominique Hawkins, Pc Javaid Habeeb, and Pc Luke Riddett, among others, deny gross misconduct charges. Three former constables have already resigned from the force. The hearing is expected to continue for two weeks as the panel examines the evidence and testimonies presented regarding the inappropriate conduct within the WhatsApp group.