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Officers in elite unit were recorded making racist, homophobic and sexist remarks
The officers were members of Hampshire police’s serious organised crime unit. Photograph: Clara Molden/PA
The officers were members of Hampshire police’s serious organised crime unit. Photograph: Clara Molden/PA
Fri 18 Dec 2020 12.41 EST
Last modified on Fri 18 Dec 2020 14.19 EST
Six police officers who were part of an elite unit plagued by racist, homophobic and sexist behaviour have been found guilty of gross misconduct at a disciplinary hearing.
A covert bug recorded members of Hampshire police’s serious organised crime unit regularly making offensive remarks, including wishing death on foreigners, and an investigation found that part of the office where a black officer worked was called “Africa corner”.
Mr Beer said: This was a specialist police unit that enjoyed relative isolation from the rest of the force due to the sensitive and sometimes covert nature of the work that it undertook. That isolation and a lack of leadership by Mr Ireson and Det Sgt Willcox appears to have led to a toxic, abhorrent culture developing in the unit amongst some officers. [This] is inconsistent with the values and standards of the police service in the 21st century and inconsistent with continued service in the police service.
He added: It was a unit that was plain nasty that displayed attitudes towards groups and communities that police officers are called upon to protect.
Detective Inspector Timothy Ireson (Credit: Solent News and Photo Agency) A DETECTIVE in charge of the Basingstoke unit accused of making racist and sexist remarks as well as circulating fake Royal pornography has admitted with hindsight his leadership should have been more rigorous . Detective Inspector Timothy Ireson said he should have been aware of an escalation in behaviour among his officers as they made repeated stomach turning remarks. The serious organised crime team, previously described as ableist, sexist, racist, transphobic and homophobic , were caught using an array of abusive language in a covert recording. A junior officer told a misconduct hearing that in the isolated unit everyone became inappropriately cavalier due to a culture in which nothing was ever challenged.
Detective Inspector Timothy Ireson (Credit: Solent News and Photo Agency) A DETECTIVE in charge of the Basingstoke unit accused of making racist and sexist remarks as well as circulating fake Royal pornography has admitted with hindsight his leadership should have been more rigorous . Detective Inspector Timothy Ireson said he should have been aware of an escalation in behaviour among his officers as they made repeated stomach turning remarks. The serious organised crime team, previously described as ableist, sexist, racist, transphobic and homophobic , were caught using an array of abusive language in a covert recording. A junior officer told a misconduct hearing that in the isolated unit everyone became inappropriately cavalier due to a culture in which nothing was ever challenged.
A detective in charge of a unit accused of making racist and sexist remarks as well as circulating fake Royal pornography today admitted with hindsight his leadership should have been more rigorous .
Det Insp Timothy Ireson said he should have been aware of an escalation in behaviour among his officers as they made repeated stomach turning remarks.
The serious organised crime team, previously described as ableist, sexist, racist, transphobic and homophobic , were caught using an array of abusive language in a covert recording.
A junior officer told a misconduct hearing that in the isolated unit everyone became inappropriately cavalier due to a culture in which nothing was ever challenged.