Detective and cop are fired for exchanging vile racist messages

A detective and a cop have been fired after they were caught exchanging “abhorrent” racist messages.

Detective Con Danielle Kirby and PC James Mills, who were both North Yorkshire Police agents, sent the mean messages to each other on WhatsApp in 2018 and 2019.

The reports came to light when Ms Kirby handed her phone over to her bosses to be examined as part of a separate investigation.

Both officers were suspended from North Yorkshire Police and have since been dismissed for serious misconduct.

Announcing the verdict, Deputy Chief Mabs Hussain said: “The racist language and sentiment in the series of WhatsApp messages is abhorrent.

“It has no place in society, much less of people who have taken an oath to uphold the highest standards of honesty, integrity and respect for all people.

“The evidence in this case was damning, and it is only right that the panel upheld the gross misconduct and the officers were dismissed from the North Yorkshire Police.

“While I fully recognize that such matters damage public confidence in the police, both here in North Yorkshire and across the country, I want to make it clear that the police are overwhelmingly a force for good.

“If such behavior comes to light, we will take firm action.”

Gerry Sydenham, who presided over the hearing, added: ‘The messages exchanged by former PC Mills and former DC Kirby contained appalling racist remarks that were blatant in nature and content.

“The undermining effect of such racially abusive misconduct on public trust in the police cannot be underestimated.

“It is unbearable and devastating to the good work of other police officers who try to build public trust in the police every day.

“Both officers have seriously and shockingly undermined public trust and their police’s trust in themselves, causing very significant and potentially lasting damage to public trust in the police.”