Former officer barred from policing for sending and failing to challenge “abhorrent” messages

A former police officer who shared and failed to challenge highly offensive and discriminatory WhatsApp messages has been barred from policing and other law enforcement agencies following a misconduct hearing.

Benjamin Kirk, who joined Avon and Somerset Police in October 2020 as a student officer after transferring from another force, was found to have committed gross misconduct following a hearing held in front of a panel, led by an independent Legally Qualified Chair.

The hearing followed an investigation carried out by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) into a WhatsApp group involving officers from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, where Mr Kirk had served prior to joining Avon and Somerset Police.

We’ve been unable to publish the outcome of the hearing, which was held in August, until a hearing for the other former Civil Nuclear Constabulary officers had concluded.

Mr Kirk was part of a WhatsApp group in which offensive and derogatory content was shared, including racist, misogynistic and ableist content. The messages were sent between June 2020 and February 2021.

Mr Kirk, who was suspended in October 2022, sent offensive racist messages and failed to challenge or report any of the messages sent by others.

The hearing panel ruled his actions had breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour including Authority, Respect and Courtesy, Challenging and Reporting Improper Behaviour, Equality and Diversity and Conduct.

Deputy Chief Constable Jon Reilly said: “This former officer posted and failed to challenge a series of abhorrent and grossly offensive messages. 

“The public will be rightly horrified by his behaviour, and we welcome the panel’s decision, which will prevent Benjamin Kirk from ever holding a role in policing again.

“There must be no space for these appalling views to fester and it’s a priority for us to ensure those who send or engage in these conversations, whether on or off-duty, understand they have no place with us. There are substantial consequences for the abuse of social media platforms, including WhatsApp, with officers or staff who misuse them facing dismissal and in some cases, even a criminal court.

“We’re continuing to urge all our officers and staff to be upstanders and not bystanders, and that means calling out all forms of discrimination whenever its seen or heard, and there are confidential reporting systems in place to allow them to do this.

“We have a shared responsibility to restore the public’s trust and confidence in policing and bring the focus back on the everyday courage and dedication shown by the many.”

The full outcome report can be found on the misconduct section of our website through this link