Two Met Police officers were fired for making “repugnant” comments in a group chat, including a racist joke about the Duchess of Sussex.
A tribunal heard that Bethnal Green police officers PC Sukhdev Jeer and PC Paul Hefford posted the messages on WhatsApp in 2018.
They were found to have engaged in serious misconduct.
The hearing was informed that the messages made fun of the individuals whom the officers were tasked with protecting.
Before her marriage to Prince Harry, the Duchess of Sussex was the subject of a racist post.
Chairman Maurice Cohen stated that they were “extremely corrosive and discriminatory” to the public, “including the local community” that they served.
The hearing also revealed that the two did not report offensive messages they received from other group members.
Significant reputational harm
During an earlier hearing, Mr. Cohen stated, “The postings in this group severely damaged the reputation of the entire Metropolitan Police.”
He added that the content was posted over an “extensive-time period” and that the officers should have been aware of its “unacceptable nature.”
PC Jeer had previously informed the hearing that he was “not in a good place” and had used the language to cope with the “issues” he was experiencing.
Ben Summers, an attorney, argued that he should not be fired for a “handful of inappropriate jokes” that caused “limited harm” instead, he should receive a warning.
Michael Shaw, who represented PC Hefford, stated that the officer had learned a “sad lesson” from his “embarrassing and difficult” assignments.
Vishal Misra, representing the Metropolitan Police Department, stated, “The panel found the postings to be abhorrent and discriminatory in nature, and the damage to public confidence has been substantial and widespread.”
Mr. Misra added that “lost trust is difficult to regain” and that the men’s dismissal was necessary to maintain public confidence in the force.
