Former officer would have been dismissed over ‘racist, sexist and misogynistic’ text messages
A former officer who sent inappropriate and discriminatory text messages to a colleague would have been dismissed had he not already resigned.
Former Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) PC Colin Stevens faced allegations that between 2013 and 2015 he exchanged “racist, sexist and misogynistic messages” with another serving officer.
An accelerated misconduct hearing on Friday (May 10) found that Stevens had breached the standards of professional behaviour in regards to authority, respect and courtesy, equality and diversity, discreditable conduct and challenging and reporting improper conduct.
The hearing concluded that the behaviour of former police constable amounted to gross misconduct and he would have been dismissed had he still been serving.
Stevens, who was previously attached to the MPS Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP) within Specialist Operations, retired from the force in March 2023.
Commander Simon Messinger, Specialist Operations whose responsibilities include PaDP, said: “The language used in these messages is despicable – not only in terms of the racism, but also that he made light of highly traumatic offences including rape.
“I am shocked that anyone who worked in this organisation would find the use of such terms acceptable, but am pleased that the actions of this former officer have been brought to light and he has been dealt with.
“Over the last year significant changes have been made to improve the culture within PaDP. This has included installing a fresh leadership team, strengthened supervision of officers and bringing more women into the command.
“As we continue this work, we are clear that is no place in Specialist Operations, or anywhere in the Met, for officers who do not behave with the upmost professionalism and uphold our values.”
Stevens will now be added to the Barred List held by the College of Policing.
Independent Office for Police Conduct Regional Director Charmaine Arbouin said: “These messages, which contained discriminatory comments and views, were unacceptable at the time and remain so today.
“Former PC Stevens ought to have known the expected standards of professional behaviour to uphold when he was a police officer, whether on or off duty.
“This type of conduct can damage the public’s confidence in policing and risks lowering the Metropolitan Police Service’s reputation. It has rightly been decided that he would have been dismissed without notice had he still been serving.”