A Wiltshire police officer has been issued a final written warning following a misconduct hearing that determined his actions constituted gross misconduct.
The one-day hearing, convened at Wiltshire Police Headquarters last Monday and chaired by an Independent Legally Qualified Chair, concluded that the conduct of PC Mark Giles breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour expected of police officers. The breaches included authority, respect and courtesy, equality and diversity, and discreditable conduct.
In April 2023, PC Giles, serving as a Firearms officer, sent inappropriate and racist messages via a WhatsApp group used by his team. These messages, directed towards another officer, were deemed offensive given the recipient’s ethnicity.
Deputy Chief Constable Craig Dibdin expressed the gravity of the situation, stating, “PC Giles’ actions fell well below the high standards of professionalism that we, and the public, expect from all police officers, staff, and volunteers. When details of his behavior came to light, he was immediately suspended, and an investigation commenced.”
Dibdin continued, “There is no place within our organisation for racist behavior of any kind,” he stated unequivocally. “We are fully committed to rooting out and challenging inappropriate behavior and will take all necessary steps to actively and appropriately deal with those whose behavior falls below the standards we expect.”
Acknowledging the importance of supporting victims and creating a more inclusive culture, Dibdin affirmed the force’s dedication to addressing discriminatory practices. “We must call out racist or discriminatory practices to create a more inclusive culture,” he asserted. “We must support victims of unacceptable and abhorrent behavior for the benefit of our colleagues and ultimately for our communities.”
Dibdin concluded by stating the force’s commitment to working with PC Giles to ensure he understands the gravity of his actions and that such behavior will not be tolerated in the future.
In a separate initiative, the Force recently launched the Safe2Say Anonymous Reporting System in December. This internal reporting system aims to empower officers, staff, and volunteers to report wrongdoing, concerns, or intelligence surrounding the workforce while maintaining anonymity.
