Dorset police officers sent racist, homophobic and derogatory messages on WhatsApp group

TWO serving Dorset Police officers and a former officer have been found guilty of gross misconduct for sharing racist, sexist and homophobic messages on a WhatsApp group.

The trio also “bullied” colleagues and “behaved in a derogatory” manner, a recent disciplinary hearing found.

PC Mark Jordan-Gill, Inspector Nicholas Mantle and former officer Paul Perdrisat were found to have breached the standards of professional behaviour.

The officers were all part of the Bournemouth Force Support Group (FSG) which operates across the whole of Dorset.

Allegations were put to the Force’s Professional Standards Department last summer over incidents of bullying and discriminatory conduct by the officers.

A panel sitting at Dorset Police HQ also found that serving officers PC Michael Lowther and PC Matthew Young had breached the standards, but that their conduct amounted to misconduct rather than gross misconduct. PC Lowther was given a written warning while PC Young was issued a final written warning.

The panel will now decide on sanctions for the remaining officers, who could be sacked from the force.

It had heard how two of the officers – PC Jordan-Gill and former officer Perdrisat – had also created a ‘Secret Santa’ calendar which featured derogatory images and wording.

An investigation launched last summer after a tip-off revealed that a “significant number of messages” containing “racist, sexual, misogynistic and homophobic language and images” were sent on the WhatsApp group.

Most of the messages had been sent between 14th June and 22nd October 2020.

Speaking after the panel’s findings, Deputy Chief Constable Sam de Reya, Dorset Police’s lead for professional standards, said: “Any behaviour demonstrating traits of prejudice/negative bias against a person will not be tolerated in our organisation and, as this case has demonstrated, we will swiftly and robustly investigate any offences reported to us.

“Following a detailed investigation by our Professional Standards Department, this matter was referred to the independently chaired panel, which made the decision three of the individuals were guilty of gross misconduct and two were found guilty of misconduct. We respect the decision of the panel and await the remaining sanctions.

The public quite rightly expects the highest standards of behaviour from serving police officers and staff as this is a core component of maintaining the trust of our communities. I am sorry that the behaviour of these officers let you down.”

Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset, David Sidwick, said: “The sanctions that have been placed on the officers that have been found guilty of misconduct are appropriate in light of the evidence that was put before the panel.”