Six former CNC officers would have been dismissed over ‘grossly offensive’ WhatsApp messages

All six were part of a WhatsApp group named ‘Band of Brothers’, which was discovered as part of an investigation into an unrelated matter and referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

IOPC investigators analysed more than 1,400 messages shared on the group – many while the officers involved were on duty – between June 2020 and February 2021. More than 100 of these made reference to protected characteristics, including race, gender, religion and disability.

These included:

• A large number of messages that were derogatory, demeaning and/or objectifying to women, including one that used vulgar slang for female genitalia to refer to a group of women at the beach;
• References to race, including a video of an Arabic male parachuting edited to infer he was responsible for a factory being blown up, and comments comparing the humane killing of an animal by PC Benjamin Kirk with the death of George Floyd, a black man murdered by an American police officer;
• Hundreds of messages that were of a pornographic nature; and
• Messages that showed graphic and/or offensive content, including a number featuring videos or images believed to show the wreckage of a helicopter crash and an industrial incident, where a man was pulled into a machine.

IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: “Messages like the ones shared in this group have absolutely no place in civilised society.

“The appalling judgment shown by these officers, in sharing and failing to challenge such messages, is complete betrayal of the trust placed in the police by the public.

“But to stamp out this sort of behaviour fully, colleagues must be able to feel confident in calling it out, knowing they will be supported and action taken. We know this issue is not limited to any single force and leaders across policing must continue to work towards a culture of zero tolerance for these kinds of attitudes. Investigations like this one are an important step in the right direction.”

On conclusion of its investigation, in October 2023, the IOPC found six officers had a case to answer for gross misconduct in relation to alleged breaches of the police standards of professional behaviour in relation to authority respect and courtesy; equality and diversity; discreditable conduct; and challenging or reporting improper conduct.

At this week’s disciplinary hearing, organised by the CNC, the panel found the case proven at the level of gross misconduct for former PCs Adam Rothery, Andrew Smith, Fraser Dove, Ryan Hancock and Stephen Moss. All would have been dismissed had they still been serving.

As former PC Benjamin Kirk was working for Avon and Somerset Constabulary at the time the allegations came to light, it held a separate misconduct hearing for him in August. The panel found he shared racist messages on the WhatsApp group and failed to challenge grossly offensive messages sent by others. He would have been dismissed had he not already resigned and was barred from working in policing in future.

“A seventh officer would also have faced disciplinary hearings but the timing of their resignation from the CNC, before the allegations against them came to light, meant this could not happen,” the IOPC said.