Police Officer Receives Written Warning Over ‘Hamas’ Remark to Colleague

A police officer has been issued a written warning after telling a Muslim colleague that she had donated money to “Hamas.” PC Thomas Barnard of Northamptonshire Police was the subject of a two-day gross misconduct disciplinary hearing. The officer, who was present at the hearing, faced allegations of “failing to treat his colleague with respect” and courtesy, and “unfairly discriminating [against] his colleague.” The panel determined that PC Barnard had breached standards of police behaviour, including those related to respect and courtesy, diversity and equality, and discreditable conduct. The hearing, conducted at Northamptonshire Police headquarters on 10 and 11 December, heard that on 16 March this year, PC Barnard admitted an allegation of projecting a “negative/stereotypical view” by associating Palestinians with a terror organisation. PC Barnard’s colleague, identified as Person A, had informed him that she had purchased products from a charity organization that raises money for Palestine. He then “commented words to the effect of ‘Hamas, you mean’,” the misconduct hearing was told. A total of six allegations brought against PC Barnard were all admitted by the officer, including making unnecessary references to Person A’s ethnicity, engaging in unnecessary stereotyping, and pronouncing the name of an Indian grocery shop in an accent “and words to the effect of ‘that’s your favourite shop’.” Person A discussed the comments, which had left her “really upset,” with a colleague, leading to the subsequent investigation. PC Barnard, who joined the force in 2014, was working on the same response team as Person A, and both individuals described each other as friends in their evidence. The hearing was informed that Person A had stated PC Barnard was “an amazing police officer” and that they regularly spent time together while on duty, often engaging in banter both privately and with other colleagues. The misconduct panel concluded that the background to the alleged misconduct was “significant.” PC Barnard informed the panel during the hearing that he had offered an “unreserved” apology to Person A for any distress caused. A report published following the hearing issued the officer with a written warning and recommended that PC Barnard attend refresher training courses in equality and diversity, and in the code of ethics for police officers. For updates on Northamptonshire news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.