Detective sacked from force for sending 'racist and offensive' memes on WhatsApp

Detective Sergeant Jonathan Cooper, 54, was sacked following an accelerated misconduct hearing held by West Mercia Police on Tuesday (March 4) chaired by Assistant Chief Constable Grant Wills. 

The hearing found that the actions of Detective Sergeant Cooper, who was based in the economic crime unit at Hindlip, amounted to gross misconduct and seriously breached the police standards.

The hearing heard that between December 26, 2019, and December 9, 2020, the officer used his personal mobile phone to send four memes to friends, via WhatsApp, which were racist and offensive to those with physical/mental disabilities.  

The force said that following yesterday’s outcome, he will be added to the College of Policing Barred List, preventing him from working for a UK police service in the future. 

West Mercia Police said the outcome of the hearing is subject to the normal appeals process. 

Deputy Chief Constable Rachel Jones said: “We expect the highest standards of our officers both on and off duty. This case highlights that where these standards are breached, no matter how long ago, we can and will take action. 

“Policing is fundamentally about keeping people safe. It is vital people from all backgrounds have trust in the police to ensure crime is reported crime or our support sought when needed. The actions of officers like Jonathan Cooper undermine this trust, which is something we simply won’t accept.”