Group of Dorset Police officers guilty of gross misconduct

Four police officers have been found to have committed gross misconduct for being part of a WhatsApp group which shared racist and misogynistic comments, and a photo of a sex toy at the home of a member of the public.

A disciplinary hearing was held by Dorset Police after an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The inappropriate messages were found in the group shared by members of a team of officers dedicated to tackling drug supply, county lines operations and protecting victims of cuckooing.

An IOPC spokesman said that thousands of messages were shared by the group between March 2020 and January 2021.

The disciplinary panel found that four officers had committed gross misconduct, and ruled that former officers, PCs Matthew Williamson and Daniel Moore, and Special Sergeant Timothy Borrill, would have been dismissed if they had not already left the force.

The fourth officer, PC Mark Philpotts, who was still serving, will now be dismissed by Dorset Police.

Serving officers PC Kate Trent and Sergeant Kennie Wilson were found to have committed misconduct and were given final written warnings.

The IOPC spokesman said that Sgt Wilson had not sent any of the offensive messages, but had failed to report those who did.

IOPC regional director David Ford said:

"Some of the messages shared within the group were wholly inappropriate, unprofessional and discriminatory, and we found there was an absence of proper challenge or reporting among officers involved.

"The sharing among the group of a photograph of one of the officers holding a sex toy at a member of the public's home represented a clear violation of trust and lacked professionalism.

"The attitudes revealed in some of these messages are completely unacceptable and have no place in policing.

"Incidents such as these have the real potential to undo the great work undertaken by police officers on a daily basis, including those who seek to build trust and confidence with communities, especially communities who are harder to reach and those representing minority groups.

"Our investigation has led to those most involved receiving serious sanctions."

Dorset Police response

Following the hearing, Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Farrell said:

“I was very disappointed to hear about this behaviour involving a group of officers, who are expected to demonstrate high standards and the varying outcomes of the panel reflects the seriousness of this.

“While these unacceptable messages were sent over four years ago, we remain resolute in continuing with our ongoing work to ensure we have a culture within the organisation where any conduct, which is contrary to the Equality Act, the Code of Ethics and the Professional Standards of Behaviour, will not be tolerated and will result in serious consequences.

“We know the vast majority of employees within the organisation are professional and do not demonstrate conduct that has been heard in this hearing. Unfortunately, these officers did not meet these high standards, which has potential to impact negatively on public confidence and damages the reputation of the Force.

“We are committed to investigating any unethical or unacceptable behaviour relating to a member of our organisation and I would encourage members of the public to report any concerns to the Force so they can be thoroughly investigated.”

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