Six former members of the police force in the UK have each been given a suspended jail sentence for sending messages that are racist, sexist, and homophobic on WhatsApp, an investigation initiated by BBC Newsnight revealed. The six perpetrators were not serving officers at the time. The Deputy Chief Magistrate, Tan Ikran said that the recipients of the messages could be severely impacted by their callous content. Such material is not solely offensive to its direct object; members of the public may too be affected by it.
The group was involved in the misuse of public electronic communication networks, according to the court hearing in Westminster. The policemen were sentenced to prison, although their sentence was suspended. Tan Ikran made it clear that their harmful conduct had undermined the public’s trust in the police force. He paid little heed to claims that the material was a product of outdated views held by an older generation.
For very good reason, the reputation of the police department must be treated with utmost seriousness and anyone who puts it at risk must expect to suffer punishment, regardless of their past profession. Society today is a vast and complicated network of individuals, communities, and institutions, and therefore the importance of behaving responsibly and ethically is more important than ever.
This investigation into racist, sexist, and homophobic material is a reflection of the society-wide shift towards enforcing appropriate conduct, and this deliberate move towards inclusivity and understanding must be embraced by everyone, at every level of society, with particular attention paid to public servants whose actions must necessarily be held in accordance with the law
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