York police officers sacked for ‘disgusting racist messages’ on WhatsApp

Detective Constable Daniel Kirby and Constable James Mills, both based in York, appeared before a hearing into gross misconduct at North Yorkshire Police this week.

They are alleged to have breached standards of professional conduct in relation to “discreditable behaviour, authority, respect and courtesy, and equality and diversity”.

WhatsApp messages exchanged between the officers between December 2018 and March 2019 were found to be racist, discriminatory and offensive.

Deputy Chief Constable Mabs Hussain, of North Yorkshire Police, said: “The racist language and sentiment contained in the series of WhatsApp messages is disgusting.

“This has no place in society, let alone people who have taken an oath to uphold the highest standards of fairness, integrity and respect for all people.”

The hearing panel, which sat for four days at North Yorkshire Police headquarters in Northallerton, decided to uphold both officers’ gross misconduct under Regulation 30 of the Police Conduct Rules 2020.

DCC Hussain added: “The evidence in this case was damning – and it is quite right that the commission found gross misconduct and the officers were dismissed from North Yorkshire Police.

“Whilst I fully recognize the damage that incidents like this do to public confidence in the police both here in North Yorkshire and across the country, I want to make it clear that the police are overwhelmingly a force for good. If such behavior is detected, we will take strong action.

“Our dedicated officers and staff work around the clock to keep our communities safe from harm. If you or your loved ones need our help, we will be there for you.

“We are also determined to make North Yorkshire Police a more diverse, inclusive and representative service. This is proactively done through the recruitment of officers and staff to ensure our teams reflect the residents and communities they are proud to serve.”