In a case that highlights the need for a comprehensive review of police conduct across the country, seven police officers from Humberside Police have been dismissed following a series of “wholly inappropriate” messages. Many of these messages were exchanged in a WhatsApp group and included sexist, racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic content.
Confirmation of the dismissals was delayed due to legal reasons, but the related special case hearings took place in 2019. One of the officers, Former Superintendent Ed Cook, admitted to taking covert videos of women without their consent for his own sexual gratification over a span of seven years, from 2011 to 2018.
This revelation comes in the wake of previous reports of misogyny and predatory behavior within the Metropolitan Police. Earlier this year, a serving female officer at Humberside Police spoke to Sky News, detailing her experiences of being “ostracized” by colleagues after reporting a senior officer who had manipulated her into a controlling relationship. She described misogyny as a “monster” within the force.
Two separate investigations were conducted regarding the inappropriate conduct of Humberside Police officers. The first investigation involved three officers, one of whom sent offensive videos to another and engaged in highly inappropriate conversations. All three officers were found to have breached standards at the level of gross misconduct.
The second investigation focused on six officers who were part of a WhatsApp group where offensive, sexist, racist, homophobic, misogynistic, and anti-Semitic messages were exchanged. All six officers were found to have participated in this misconduct, resulting in their dismissal from the force.
Three officers were dismissed without notice, and another officer would have faced dismissal had he not already resigned. The four dismissed officers have been placed on the barred list, effectively preventing them from working in policing. Two other officers received final written warnings, as their involvement in the inappropriate messages was deemed less persistent and targeted compared to others in the WhatsApp group.
Assistant Chief Constable Dave Marshall of Humberside Police expressed his firm stance against such behavior, stating that the actions of the officers were deplorable. He emphasized that the force swiftly and robustly addressed the situation, ensuring appropriate sanctions were applied to those involved. Now that the related legal proceedings have concluded, the details of the misconduct hearings have been made public to uphold the principles of open justice and transparency within the police force.
The dismissals serve as a clear message that such inappropriate conduct will not be tolerated, and efforts to eradicate misogyny and offensive behavior within the police must continue. The need for a comprehensive review of this issue across the country has been underscored by Baroness Casey, who conducted a review into sexism within London’s police force. It is imperative that police forces take proactive measures to create a respectful and inclusive environment for both officers and the communities they serve.
