A former Avon and Somerset police officer has been removed from the force after sending racist messages in a WhatsApp group with fellow police officers. Benjamin Kirk was part of the “Band of Brothers” chat group, which included five other Civil Nuclear Gendarmerie (CNC) agents who shared derogatory, racist and pornographic content.

Kirk joined Avon and Somerset Police as a CNC cadet in October 2020. He was found guilty of serious misconduct for sending racially offensive messages and failing to challenge or report inappropriate content shared by others during a misconduct hearing in August.

The panel concluded that Kirk’s behavior violated standards of professional police behavior, including authority, respect and courtesy, challenging and reporting inappropriate behavior, equality and diversity, and conduct. Suspended in October 2022, he would have been fired if he had not resigned.

He is now banned from playing any future role in policing. Assistant Chief Constable Jon Reilly of Avon and Somerset Police said after the hearing: “This former officer posted and failed to challenge a series of abhorrent and grossly offensive messages. The public will be rightly horrified by his behavior, and we welcome the panel’s decision. which will prevent Benjamin Kirk from ever playing a role in the police force again. »

His statement continued: “There must be no space for these appalling opinions to fester and it is a priority for us to ensure that those sending or participating in these conversations, whether on or off duty, understand that they have no place among us. There are far-reaching consequences for misusing social media platforms, including WhatsApp, with agents or staff who misuse them facing dismissal and, in some cases, even criminal court.

“We continue to urge all of our officers and staff to be advocates and not bystanders, which means speaking out against all forms of discrimination whenever they are seen or heard, and confidential reporting systems are in place to enable them to do so We We have a shared responsibility to restore public confidence in policing and to bring attention back to the daily courage and dedication demonstrated by the greatest number of people.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has carried out an investigation into the behavior exhibited in the WhatsApp group, reports the Bristol Post, which was uncovered as part of an independent investigation. More than 1,400 messages sent between June 2020 and February 2021 were analyzed by investigators.

More than 100 of them referenced protected characteristics, including race, gender, religion and disability. Here are example messages:

• Derogatory/humiliating/objectifying posts against women, including one that used vulgar slang for female genitalia to refer to a group of women at the beach.
• Racist messages, including a video of an Arab paratrooper edited to infer that he was responsible for a factory explosion, and comments comparing PC Benjamin Kirk’s humane killing of an animal to death of George Floyd, a black man murdered by an American police officer
• Hundreds of pornographic messages
• Posts with graphic/offensive content, including a number of videos or images purporting to show the wreckage of a helicopter crash and an industrial incident, in which a man was pulled into a machine.

At a high-profile NCC misconduct hearing, former Conservatives Adam Rothery, Andrew Smith, Fraser Dove, Ryan Hancock and Stephen Moss were found guilty of serious misconduct and faced immediate dismissal if they were still members in office. activity. Benjamin Kirk was subject to disciplinary action by Avon and Somerset Police in August.

A seventh officer escaped prosecution due to his resignation before the allegations surfaced. IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates condemned the messages shared within the group as unacceptable, saying: “Messages like those shared in this group have absolutely no place in a civilized society. The appalling judgment shown by these officers in sharing and not challenging these posts. , is a complete betrayal of the trust the public places in the police.”

Bates stressed the need for a supportive environment in which officers can confidently respond to such behavior, saying: “But to completely eradicate this type of behavior, colleagues must be able to confidently call it out, knowing that they will be supported and action will be taken. We know that this problem is not limited to one force and that police leaders must continue to work towards a culture of zero tolerance for these kinds of attitudes. Investigations like this are an important step in the right direction.