Metropolitan Police officers investigated after racist, misogynistic and homophobic messages 'accidentally' revealed
Investigation finds secret recordings of public and one officer allegedly tried to start relationship with victim
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Five officers from London's Metropolitan Police are under investigation after racist, misogynistic and homophobic messages were “accidentally disclosed”.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said one of the officers’ phones was found during a search of a suspect’s premises in Surrey.
The officer was not involved in the Surrey Police investigation but examination of the phone uncovered messages and recordings that could amount to misconduct.
Offensive messages exchanged between the five officers spanned from 2009 to 2011 and suggested that they "hold discriminatory beliefs”, investigators said.
The phone also contained videos and audio files that appeared to be secret recordings of interactions between the officers and members of the public.
Some messages suggested that one of the officers had tried to “establish a personal relationship with a vulnerable member of the public” who was a victim of crime, after meeting them on duty.
The IOPC said the five officers will face a gross misconduct hearing, while a sixth officer will attend a misconduct hearing over evidence suggesting they failed to report wrongdoing and accessed a crime report without a legitimate purpose.
“Our investigation found evidence officers may have breached professional standards by sending inappropriate and offensive messages, calling into question their ability to impartially and properly discharge their duties,” IOPC regional director Sal Naseem said. “This type of behaviour has the potential to undermine the public’s confidence and trust in policing.
“We also found evidence that videos had been recorded of interactions between members of the public and police that may have been taken without any consent and for no proper policing purpose. I am also deeply concerned that one officer may have pursued an inappropriate relationship with a victim of crime.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said the officers have been put on restricted duties.