Officer barred from policing after gross misconduct found
A police officer who engaged in several inappropriate conversations on a WhatsApp group has been barred from policing.
Gross misconduct was found PC Charlotte Harper and she was dismissed without notice. She was found to have breached the following standards of professional behaviour:
- Authority, respect and courtesy
- Confidentiality
- Discreditable conduct
The accelerated misconduct hearing, chaired by former Assistant Chief Constable Craig Holden, took place at police headquarters in Portishead today (Thursday 17 September) and heard how PC Harper had been an active member of a WhatsApp group.
In the WhatsApp chat, which had almost 100 members, PC Harper had identified herself as a police officer and displayed discreditable and derogatory attitude towards the profession of policing.
PC Harper, who is a student police officer based in South Gloucestershire but has been suspended since the allegations came to light, instigated and actively participated in disrespectful conversations about the organisation, her colleagues and a possible victim of domestic abuse.
On one occasion, members of the group chat were having a conversation about a drugs deal, where PC Harper stated she would ignore the suggestion of criminality.
The matter was brought to attention of the Professional Standards Department (PSD) on 23 July last year by a member of police staff who, for a brief period, was in the group but left due to the concerning nature of the conversations.
A/Det Supt Will Thorpe, from the Professional Standards Department, said: “The views expressed and language used by PC Harper in these conversations were wholly unacceptable and in no way reflect the values of our organisation.
“Members of the public must be able to trust that police officers will carry out their duties fairly, professionally and with respect for those they serve. When officers behave in a way that risks damaging that trust, it is right that they are held accountable.
“Professional standards apply whether officers are on duty, off duty, or communicating in private groups and we will continue to take action wherever conduct falls short of what is expected.
“The findings in this case demonstrate that behaviour which brings policing into disrepute will not be tolerated. The overwhelming majority of our officers and staff serve the public with integrity every day, and they care deeply about the communities they serve and holding each other to account.”
The full outcome of this hearing will be added to the misconduct section of our website when it is available.