Wiltshire Police has apologised after two officers ‘bullied’ a journalist online.
An investigation by the force’s Counter Corruption Unit found that the actions of PC 1 and PC 2 fell short of the professional standards expected of serving police officers.
The incident, which occurred in April, involved PC 1 posting a comment about Daniel Jae Webb – who owns Wiltshire 999s – on a post mocking him in a public Facebook group.
A laughing emoji reaction to the comment was added by a second person, who was later identified as a police officer – PC 2.
Both officers – who are female – admitted their actions, with PC 1 offering a full apology.
She said: “I apologise for any offence my comment caused. I will be reflecting personally as well as with my senior officer and will adjust my future actions appropriately.”
The PCs must take part in the Reflective Practice Review Process (RPRP) – a formal programme aimed at addressing performance concerns and improving behaviour.
In a letter to Daniel, Detective Chief Inspector Helen Jacobs, the senior officer overseeing the Counter Corruption Unit investigation, said: “It clearly was unacceptable that 2 Wiltshire Officers expressed or endorsed such a personal comment about Mr Webb.
“Although it is noted that they did not do so in their capacity as officers, or identifying themselves as officers.
“I apologise to Mr Webb for any upset that this may have caused.
“I offer the reassurance that both officers will be subject to the RPRP process which is a form of performance management, noted on their records.”
The local journalist told of how such actions affect his trust in the police and despite this incident, his contact with officers working on the frontline is generally positive.
He said: “Instead of ignoring a post that mocked me in an public Facebook group with tens of thousands of members, these officers decided to engage with it.
“While PC 1’s comment was only mildly abusive towards me, it still raised serious concerns about her conduct – and was only exacerbated when it was discovered that PC 2 had also laugh-reacted to the comment.
“As police officers, a level of professionalism is expected on and off duty. Essentially bullying me online, on a post targeting me as a journalist, clearly falls short of what is expected of them. Thankfully, Wiltshire Police recognises that.
“Trust in the police is at an all-time low, and behaviour like this only erodes it further. I was surprised by their conduct as my working relationship with officers is usually very positive.
“From the outset, I told the Counter Corruption Unit investigator that I deemed the behaviour low-level and would only want the officers to learn from it.
“I am pleased that they will now undertake reflective practice with a senior officer to ensure this doesn’t happen to me or others in the future.”
