Six serving police officers have been dismissed following an internal investigation by Greater Manchester Police, GMP, into allegations of racial discrimination against a fellow officer.
The force’s disciplinary panel found that the officers engaged in discriminatory conduct, including mocking the African heritage officer’s accent, comparing her with a suspect based on their similar skin colour and making a derogatory remark about her hair.
Two former officers were also found to have committed gross misconduct and would have been dismissed had they remained in the force.
The female officer, who was not named in the proceedings, raised concerns after a group of officers allegedly mimicked her accent. The investigation examined the allegations and the conduct of nine officers.
PCs Demi Green, Heena Rani, Lucy Granby, Matthew Barlow, Matthew Hill and Mohammed Abid, who made the remark about their colleague’s hair, were found to have committed gross misconduct and dismissed without notice.
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Former PC Jake Holt and another former officer, who was not identified, were also found to have committed gross misconduct. The panel said they would have been dismissed had they still been serving members of the force.
Sgt Adrian Bick was found to have committed misconduct and received a written warning. The panel determined that his actions did not amount to a breach of the force’s standards on equality and diversity.
Deputy Chief Constable Terry Woods said no officer or member of staff should have to experience discriminatory behaviour from colleagues.
“I would like to acknowledge the courage of the officer who came forward and reported these concerns,” Woods said. “It is important that people have the confidence to speak up, knowing they will be listened to and supported.”
He added that GMP’s Bury district had worked with officers, staff and community representatives since the investigation began to address concerns and strengthen its relationship with the diverse communities it serves.
BBC
