Kevin Phillips, 56, who has since resigned but is still attached to the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, sparked widespread outrage when, unbeknownst to him, he was filmed committing the offence on a park bench.
The footage was shared on social media and viewed by tens of thousands of people. Phillips’ badge number was captured on video, indicating that he was serving in the Met.
Phillips’ behaviour that day was repulsive and is contrary to everything the decent officers and staff of the Metropolitan Police stand for,” said Chief Superintendent Simon Ovens, who leads the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command. He has disappointed many of his colleagues as well as the public we serve. Such heinous behaviour has no place in the Metropolitan Police Department.
“As soon as we became aware of the video, we launched an investigation.” Officers worked all night to identify him and obtain an arrest warrant for him. Phillips was arrested, charged, and pleaded guilty within 48 hours of the investigation being led by our new Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offenses professionalism team. I am confident that such prompt action will reassure the public about how seriously we take breaches of trust and confidence and how hard we will work to root out those who undermine the service.
The video was discovered by police late on Wednesday, March 30. Phillips was arrested the next morning at his home address. He was arrested and charged with obstructing public decency the same day, and he was remanded to appear in Croydon Magistrates’ Court the next morning, where he entered a guilty plea.
He was bailed to appear in Croydon Crown Court for sentencing on Thursday, June 16th.
The incident occurred in East Dulwich’s Dog Kennel Hill Park while Phillips was on duty.
Phillips was suspended following his arrest, and the Met referred the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. They decided that the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards would conduct a local investigation.
Phillips resigned, but the misconduct investigation continued.
On Thursday, May 26, an accelerated special case hearing was held, presided over by Chief Supt Ovens. It was determined that if Phillips had still been a member of the police force, he would have been fired without notice.
The Domestic Abuse and Sexual Offences investigation unit (DASO) is part of the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards; it is the Met’s first dedicated unit of its kind, and the first of its kind in policing nationally.
The unit, which was established in January, is responsible for investigating allegations of sexual misconduct and domestic abuse involving Met officers and staff, as well as ensuring that those who report such incidents are well supported. More than 30 experienced officers comprise the team, all of whom are investigators with extensive specialist knowledge.
We’re working hard to reestablish public trust and confidence in police officers’ ability to protect and respect them.
We’ve already taken a number of significant steps to initiate genuine change throughout the organisation. These include two independent reviews, a review of all current investigations into allegations of sexual and domestic abuse against Met employees, and an increase in the number of investigators in our professional standards directorate to root out those whose behaviour is unacceptable.
