Emily Leeming: South Yorkshire Police officer used 'grossly offensive racist terms' in phone messages

Emily Leeming was a serving police constable with South Yorkshire Police when she sent racist WhatsApp messages betweeen 2021 and 2023, but has subsequently left the force.

Ms Leeming did not attend a hearing on Monday, September 2, 2024, where gross misconduct was proven.

“The panel found that the officer breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour in respect of the above allegation, and that the breach amounted to gross misconduct. The outcome of the hearing was that the former officer would have been dismissed without notice, had she not already resigned,” documents published by South Yorkshire Police (SYP)state.

The documents concerning the panel’s findings, which have been written by South Yorkshire Police’s Chief Constable, and misconduct hearing panel member, Lauren Poultney, reveal that Ms Leeming used ‘racist words’ in messages to her associates.

“This is grossly offensive and it is entirely unacceptable that a serving police officer has used them. It is used in a derogatory way. It matters little that it was not used directly to a person likely to be offended,” Chf Con Poultney said.

She added: “The evidence contained in the hearing bundle is incontrovertible and I have found the allegations proved.” The documents also detail how Ms Leeming asserted that she had challenged a ‘family member in person’ over similar conduct.

However, the panel concluded that in the relevant message communication, there had been a ‘complete lack of challenge in the messages’.

“If there had been a problem with family members continuing to act in this way I would expect the officer to have sought advice about that and there is no evidence that she did so,” Chf Con Poultney said.

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She added: “The former officer’s conduct was intentional. In my view she cannot have thought that sending messages which contained grossly offensive racist terms was acceptable. Therefore, I find that this was a deliberate breach.”

The precise ‘racist words’ used by Ms Leeming have not been disclosed in the documents published by the force.

However, they do make reference to her claim that using one of the words ‘when applying it to a shop’ was ‘acceptable’. “I further reject any suggestion that applying the word to a shop, particularly when calling it dirty, is acceptable,” Chf Con Poultney said.

The panel was told how Ms Leeming’s mobile phone was seized as part of an unrelated police investigation.

The phone was examined following authorisation, and the messages which formed the basis of the misconduct allegation were subsequently discovered. Considering mitigating factors, the panel noted Ms Leeming was ‘not the author of all of the messages,’ that she was very junior in service, and had apologised for her actions at a ‘very early opportunity’.

Chf Con Poultney concluded, however: “Having assessed the misconduct here as serious misconduct, which has the potential to cause serious damage to the public confidence in the police, and having regard to the fundamental breach of trust which results from this misconduct, in my judgment the only appropriate outcome, were the officer still a serving officer, would have been dismissal without notice.

“No lesser alternative adequately protects public confidence in the police service, uphold standards in policing and protects the public.”

“I was left feeling let down on reading the messages the former officer had on her telephone. I have been absolutely clear in my position that policing, and South Yorkshire Police in particular, will not tolerate prejudicial and discriminatory conduct, I want us to be an anti-racist force and, as such, I expect more of those who serve our communities,” she added.