Officer barred from policing after making discriminatory remark to member of the public in Luton

By The Newsroom
Published 1st Jun 2023, 14:48 BST
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It was discovered on a recording from a colleague’s body worn video camera

A former officer who made a discriminatory remark about a member of the public has been barred from policing.

Former PC William MacKay made the comment while attending an incident in Luton around a year ago. While the member of the public did not hear the remark, it was later discovered having been recorded on a colleague’s body worn video camera.

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At an Accelerated Case Hearing at Kempston HQ earlier this week, Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst found the comment to be a breach of the Professional Standards of Behaviour for Equality and Diversity and Discreditable Conduct and amounted to gross misconduct. He concluded that if the officer had still been employed he would have been dismissed without notice. He will be placed on the College of Policing barred list.

The officer would have been dismissed had he not resigned beforehand.The officer would have been dismissed had he not resigned beforehand.
The officer would have been dismissed had he not resigned beforehand.

Chief Constable Rodenhurst said: “I have made it clear to both my workforce and our communities that we are an anti-racist force. We are working tirelessly to maintain and build trust and confidence of those communities that have traditionally trusted policing the least.

“I accept this was a one-off incident by the officer who in his time with us had a good record. However, during that time he would have been under no doubt that that there is no place in this organisation for this type of statement.”