West Yorkshire police officers dismissed for gross misconduct over WhatsApp group messages and photos

The hearing panel, which was chaired by an independent legally qualified Chari, found that all five officers who are currently serving should be dismissed and the three who resigned while under investigation would have been dismissed if they were still in service.

The eight officers are PC Luke Riddett who was found guilty of 26 counts of gross misconduct and 12 counts of misconduct, the most of any in the group.

Ex-PC Tom Harrison faced 10 findings of gross misconduct and four of misconduct, while PC X, whose identity is protected under an anonymity order, was found guilty of eight gross misconduct charges and three misconduct charges.

PS Mark Otter had seven gross misconduct findings and one misconduct finding against him.

PC Javaid Habeeb faced five counts of gross misconduct and 10 of misconduct, while ex-PC Matthew Harrison was found guilty of five counts of gross misconduct and five of misconduct.

PC Dominique Hawkins faced four findings of gross misconduct and two for misconduct and ex-PC Lee Hillyard had two gross misconduct findings and one misconduct finding.

All eight will now be added to the College of Policing's Barred List which prevents them from working in policing in the future.

The hearing was told about several concerning messages in the WhatsApp group, which included the sharing of a photograph taken at the scene of a sudden death after the body had been removed and inappropriate comments from others in the chat.

The chat also included inappropriate discussions about individuals involved in serious or fatal road crashes and derogatory comments about colleagues and one colleague's family members which were found to be misogynic and transphobic.

Also found were inappropriate discussions of suicide, both about a colleague and a member of the public, comments about sexual harassment and claims about individuals both within the chat group and outside, as well as the sharing of images of missing people and arrested individuals along with inappropriate and racing comments.

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The WhatsApp group came to the Force’s attention when an inspector made a report to the Professional Standards Directorate after becoming aware of potential inappropriate behaviour.

A referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) which declared it as an independent investigation.  

Detective Chief Superintendent Tanya Wilkins, Head of West Yorkshire Police’s Professional Standards Directorate, said: “This misconduct hearing looked not only at the actions of this group but also their inaction. The lack of challenge and complicity of a supervisor being involved in these conversations has allowed a culture of routine misogyny, casual racism and bullying to develop within this team.  

“We make clear to all employees of West Yorkshire Police the standards we expect of them both on and off duty and have a specific policy in place around the use of social media, which includes WhatsApp. The messages that were looked at as part of this investigation were mean-spirited and not representative of the inclusive culture we seek to foster in West Yorkshire Police."

She continued: “Frontline policing can be extremely hard, and this is well recognised. West Yorkshire Police has a variety of services available internally, including peer support, counselling, chaplaincy support and TRiM (Trauma Risk Management) for those affected by a traumatic event, incident or situation.  

“We understand that there still remains a place for more informal support between colleagues, but a social media platform is not the appropriate place to discuss and share information about sensitive operational matters. Supporting colleagues can also not be used as an excuse for the use of racist and misogynistic language, which have no place in policing.

“In addition to the action taken against the officers subject to this misconduct hearing, we will also be using this as a reminder to all officers, staff and volunteers working for West Yorkshire Police of the appropriate use of social media and encouraging reporting of any potential concerns about colleagues’ conduct.

“Any members of the public with information about any potential misconduct or criminal behaviour by any police employee are also encouraged to report it, either to the police directly or to independent charity Crimestoppers.”

IOPC Regional Director Emily Barry added: “The disgraceful behaviour and attitudes we found in these messages are totally unacceptable and have no place in policing. Our investigation has ensured those responsible have received serious sanctions – and that the worst offenders will never again wear the uniform.

“But this case is also a welcome sign of the shifting attitudes within policing to this kind of ‘canteen culture’. I am grateful to those officers who did the right thing by speaking up and exposing the toxicity within their own ranks.

“This is not always easy to do. But calling out poor behaviour needs to become the norm – and that can only happen where colleagues know their concerns will be taken seriously and action taken.

“We know behaviour like this still exists within policing but it is this kind of decisive response from WYP, referring the case for independent scrutiny and acting to address the concerns raised, that sends a clear message about its stance on the issue.”