Former BTP officers would have been sacked over offensive WhatsApp messages

It follows an investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) into allegations that six officers had shared or failed to report or challenge inappropriate messages.

Two of the officers from the group were previously dismissed following an accelerated misconduct hearing in January and a fifth officer received a final written warning in June for misconduct.

The gross misconduct hearing followed a voluntary referral by BTP to the IOPC.

Former Sergeant Trevor Waller, based in Brighton, and another former officer, who was granted anonymity by the independent chair, were found to have breached the police standards of professional behaviour relating to: integrity; authority, respect and courtesy; equality and diversity; orders and instructions; confidentiality; discreditable conduct; and challenging and reporting improper conduct.

The IOPC’s investigation focused on messages sent between BTP officers on the WhatsApp group between April and August 2023.

Both former officers were found to have made several inappropriate, derogatory, and offensive comments about vulnerable members of the public, including comments about a 15-year-old and individuals experiencing mental health crises.

Derogatory comments were also made about their BTP colleagues, which the panel found could amount to bullying.

Sensitive operational matters were also discussed in the group, contrary to BTP policy.

The panel found the actions of former officer PS Waller and the former officer amounted to gross misconduct and both would have been dismissed from the force if they were still serving.

In January, two other officers, PC Joe Le Cappelain and former PC Jack Hunter, who were part of the same WhatsApp group, were dismissed following an accelerated misconduct hearing. They were also criminally investigated for potential offences under the Communications Act. A file of evidence was sent to the Crown Prosecution Service which decided not to charge.

A fifth officer, a PC, was given a two-year final written warning at a misconduct meeting in June. A sixth officer investigated by the IOPC, a former PC, was found to have no disciplinary case to answer.

IOPC director Amanda Rowe said: “Some of the messages uncovered in this investigation were not only unprofessional but discriminatory, and entirely inappropriate. We also found there was a failure to challenge or report inappropriate messages among the officers involved.

“The public rightly expect officers to be held to a high standard and they must be held to account when their conduct falls far short of what is acceptable.”

The panel determined the comments “demonstrated an abject failure to treat vulnerable individuals with respect or courtesy”.

During the investigation, which concluded in October 2024, investigators reviewed both the screen recordings and phone download of this WhatsApp group chat, interviewed the police officers under investigation, obtained and reviewed applicable policies and obtained statements from several witnesses.

Detective Superintendent Brett Walker, head of BTP’s Professional Standards Department, said: “The foul messages exchanged by these two former officers showed they had no respect for the public they’re supposed to serve, or indeed their colleagues.

“We expect our officers to uphold the highest standards of conduct and behaviour. These two fell far short of those expectations with their decision to send offensive malicious, disgraceful messages.

“It is only right that they would have been dismissed from the force had they still been serving. There is simply no place in policing for individuals like these.”