Fourth officer suspended by Gwent Police over sexism, racism and homophobia allegations

A fourth officer has been suspended from Gwent Police following allegations of sharing misogynistic, racist and homophobic messages.

Last week Gwent Police confirmed it had suspended three officers after details of the messages were revealed by a Sunday Times investigation.

Another officer has been placed on restricted duties.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has begun an investigation after WhatsApp and Facebook messages were discovered on the phone of a deceased Gwent Police officer.

According to revelations first published by The Sunday Times, the messages were exchanged between 41 serving and retired Gwent Police officers.

As well as being offensive in nature, the messages also alluded to police corruption and contained pornography.

The phone belonged to ex-sergeant Ricky Jones, who took his own life in January 2020.

His family came forward with the phone after suffering years of controlling behaviour from him.

The family felt unable to go to the police because of Jones’ links to the force and  want a new organisation set up to help people facing domestic abuse from serving officers.

The IOPC said Wiltshire Police is currently investigating complaints from the family about Gwent Police’s handling of its investigation into Jones’ death and officers’ contact with them.

According to the Sunday Times, the family complained to the IOPC in December 2020 over the way Gwent Police collected evidence for Jones’ inquest to portray him positively.

Gwent Police found no evidence of bias. In January 2021, Jones’ family wrote to Gwent CID telling them of the phone’s contents. In August that year the family made another complaint to the force’s professional standards unit as the investigation was “wound down”.

Fearing a cover-up, the family eventually approached The Sunday Times.

“Boys’ Club”

The newspaper has also published allegations from two female officers.

One alleged she was assaulted by a senior officer and then found herself being investigated for misconduct when she reported it.

Another, Alyson Cox, is an ex-firearms instructor and told the newspaper a joint firearms unit used by Gwent, Dyfed-Powys and South Wales forces was driving women out. She warned of a “boys’ club” attitude.

Political fallout

On the latest allegations, Chief Constable Pam Kelly said: “I am clear that we are determined to challenge and remove those who do not uphold our values.”

Speaking to Caerphilly Observer in 2019, Chief Constable Kelly denied the force had a culture problem.

Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies raised the issue in the Senedd last week.

Speaking afterwards he said: “Like the poor family who suffered at the hands of Ricky Jones, I have no confidence in the senior management of Gwent Police, and it is appalling that such a disgusting culture was allowed to metastasise among a previously trusted Welsh public service.”

Labour’s Police and Crime Commissioner for Gwent, Jeff Cuthbert, has defended the force from accusations it was “institutionally racist”.

He said: “I’ve heard a number of commentators refer to ‘it’s not a few bad apples, it’s the whole orchard’ but when you say that you cast a cloud over all police officers.

“And I can tell you, the overwhelming majority of Gwent officers are as horrified as we are of these allegations and they want to make it clear they have no part in that.”