Leicestershire officers dismissed from force following IPCC investigation

12 Sep 2017 11:42 AM

An IPCC investigation into allegedly derogatory and discriminatory conversations on the WhatsApp instant messaging service has led to four officers being dismissed from Leicestershire Police.

The IPCC independently investigated messages sent by the officers, all of them police constables, as part of a WhatsApp group called the Inner Circle between April 2013 and January 2014.

The exchanges involved around 100 texts which came to light when police examined the mobile phone of another officer who was being investigated for an unrelated criminal matter.  The content of their conversation was deemed offensive and derogatory and included terms that were discriminatory and sexual in nature.

Leicestershire Police held a force misconduct hearing last week, at which four officers were dismissed without notice and four were given final written warnings.

IPCC Commissioner Derrick Campbell yesterday said:

“Following a thorough and independent investigation by the IPCC, the disciplinary process has found that these officers breached the standards of professional behaviour expected of them.

“The messages they exchanged included some of the vilest language I have encountered during any of the investigations I have been involved with.

“Hopefully the public will be reassured by the outcomes today that officers who apparently harbour such attitudes will not be tolerated and will not go unchallenged.”