My life as a female firearms officer in the misogynistic police boys’ club (original) (raw)
Police forces in South Wales have been accused of creating a “rotten culture of misogyny” that cause female officers to quit a firearms unit responsible for responding to terrorist attacks.
Alyson Cox, a former police firearms instructor with 30 years’ experience, warned that a “boys’ club” attitude in a firearms unit shared by the Gwent, Dyfed-Powys and South Wales police forces is driving out women. Four female officers have left the unit in the past 12 to 18 months, with sources claiming that bullying has been highlighted as an issue.
“Women are leaving the JFU [Joint Firearms Unit],” said Cox, 58, from Cardiff. “I think there’s a real problem there at the moment. Those women left for a reason and there is an issue retaining female firearms officers in what has become a bit of a boys’ club.
“I think male officers have an idea that learning to use a firearm makes them somehow special. Better than other officers. More elite. They come with that sort of attitude.”
Cox, who retired from the police in 2019, claims misogynists are driving women out
ADRIAN SHERRATT FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES
Cox said she felt compelled to speak out after a Sunday Times investigation found male officers sharing misogynistic, racist and homophobic phone messages with one another.
Advertisement
Thousands of toxic WhatsApp and Facebook messages were discovered by the family of Ricky Jones, 52, a firearms and traffic officer with Gwent police who took his own life in January 2020.
They were discovered after his death by his wife, Sharon, and their three daughters — whom Jones had subjected to decades of domestic abuse — who looked through his phone to get some insight into his cruelty.
Last week, four police officers were suspended by Gwent police and a fifth officer placed on restricted duties as part of an investigation into the force by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and Wiltshire police.
“I was one of Jones’s firearms instructors,” Cox said. “He was a little nervy but passed his requirements. I’m not surprised by what was found on his phone, to be honest. This will be the tip of the iceberg.”
Cox retired as a police officer in 2019 but returned as a civilian instructor on a temporary contract. She believes a change in personnel during that time has led to a culture of a “boys’ club — lads drinking brews in offices behind closed doors”.
Advertisement
“I have seen female firearms instructors’ assessments of police officers being undermined,” she said. “In one case, an assessment of a male officer who was failed by a panel of three female instructors was reviewed. The officer was then passed. That damaged a lot of people’s confidence.”
Alyson Cox has 30 years’ experience as a police firearms officer and instructor
ADRIAN SHERRATT FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES
She applied for a permanent role as a civilian instructor in August 2020, but was turned down for one of four posts. She was told the four men who applied were better candidates, despite her 30 years of experience as a firearms officer and instructor.
“I believe I was passed-over for a position because I was a woman and not part of the club — this was despite being extremely well-qualified for the role,” Cox said.
She filed a grievance against South Wales police last year but it was not upheld by the force, which said she had been treated fairly by the process.
Cox, a trailblazer for women in the armed-response arena, joined South Wales police in the late 1980s.
Advertisement
“Looking at the content on Jones’s phone, I think it has got worse since I joined,” she said. “I think it has gone backwards. When I was a police officer, [with] some of the things you deal with there is a dark sense of humour because you have to process what you have seen.
“But I don’t ever recall using anything offensive or racist. I used to travel around in a van — the one woman firearms officer with six or seven big blokes, all with guns, going out to jobs. I happened to be a very good shot, so nobody could say anything about my ability with a firearm.”
Last week, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Travis, head of the JFU, said he took the retention of officers “extremely seriously” and would “continue to work to root out” any behaviour that “does not reflect the highest of standards. He said a small number of officers — male and female — had left the unit in the past two years due to promotion and injury.
The Sunday Times investigation into Jones’s iPhone has raised serious questions about the broader culture at Gwent police.
A culture of misogyny, homophobia and racism within Gwent police was exposed when the family of Ricky Jones, a former officer, examined messages on his phone
“It’s a power trip of the uniform,” said one female Gwent police employee. “They assume that because they are higher rank, you’re going to jump into bed with them.” She said Christmas parties and other social events where alcohol was involved were particularly notorious.
Advertisement
Last week, Andrew RT Davies, the Welsh Conservative leader in the Senedd, wrote to Suella Braverman, the home secretary, asking for the force to be placed in special measures.
Jones’s mobile phone shows serving and retired officers swapping WhatsApp messages calling Asian people “slopes”, homophobic language such as “PC closet” and “poofs”, and discussing “sex pest” male police officers who target junior female colleagues.
One veteran police officer offered to hide money for Jones before a possible divorce, saying he had done the same for a senior Gwent police officer. Hiding money during divorce proceedings is fraud.
After Jones jumped to his death from the Prince of Wales Bridge in 2020, his eldest daughter, Emma, 28, searched his iPhone.
The family complained to the IOPC in December that year about what they believed were problems with the way police had gathered evidence for Jones’s inquest in a bid to paint him in a better light. As well as the domestic abuse, Jones had had at least two extramarital affairs.
Advertisement
Gwent police force found no evidence of bias. However, on January 2, 2021, Jones’s family sent a letter to Gwent CID making the force aware of the messages on the phone. In the letter, they said his phone contained “pornography” and “lewd and pornographic images and conversations with members of the public and other ex-police officers”.
In August that year, the Gwent investigation began to wind down, without any inquiries made into the wider misconduct among serving and retired officers. The family had to contact Gwent’s professional standards department to make a further complaint. “They were ready to close it all down in August,” Emma said. Fearing the truth might never be exposed, the family then approached The Sunday Times.
The Women’s Equality Party Wales held a vigil on Friday outside Gwent police headquarters in Cwmbran
ADRIAN SHERRATT FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES
Last week, the IOPC announced it was taking over the inquiry into Jones’s iPhone.
As the investigation widens, a former officer is suing the force for dismissing her after she reported a male officer for sexually assaulting her.
Josie (not her real name) was assaulted during a team social event by her sergeant, whom we are calling Officer H.
She had previously been propositioned by another senior officer during her training, who asked her to perform oral sex on a mattress in the back of a police van. She reported this incident to Officer H but it was taken no further. He subsequently assaulted her.
After reporting Officer H’s alleged assault, Josie found herself under investigation for 19 allegations relating to her conduct, three of which were found to be proved against her at a disciplinary hearing. Last week she described those allegations as “spurious”.
As part of its inquiry into Josie, Gwent police sent a questionnaire to her colleagues asking for their views on her capability. Questions included: “Have you had any concerns about [Josie’s] professional integrity?,” “Are you aware of other members of your team having any issues with [Josie]?”, and “Has [Josie] ever told you anything that you know not to be true?”
Gwent police said the questionnaire was standard practice for such an inquiry. But Josie described it as a “fishing exercise”. Officer H’s conduct hearing never took place.
“I think how everything is run, how those misconduct panels and procedures are run, needs to be looked at and changed, because I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what I’ve gone through,” Josie said.
Pam Kelly, chief constable of Gwent police, says she is horrified by the allegations and is determined to “remove those who do not uphold the force’s values”
She added that she wanted to make a criminal complaint against Officer H.
Gwent police told her the allegation was passed to Scotland Yard because the alleged incident took place in London. She was told by Gwent police that no further action would be taken. She has since discovered that the Metropolitan Police have no record of the allegation.
Last week a Met spokeswoman confirmed she was unable to find any previous report. In recent days, Josie has herself reported the crime to the Met.
Pam Kelly, the chief constable of Gwent police, said: “We continue to be horrified by the allegations that have emerged to date. We are committed to taking action and we have suspended four officers and placed another officer on restricted duties. The IOPC are now leading on the investigation and we are therefore unable to comment further on the matter.
“I am clear that we are determined to challenge and remove those who do not uphold our values.”
Jeff Cuthbert, the police and crime commissioner for Gwent, said: “The messages uncovered by The Sunday Times are appalling, and swift action has been taken by Gwent police’s chief officer team to suspend four officers in relation to allegations of misconduct.”
He said he took his role as commissioner in holding the force to account “seriously” and that his priority was to “ensure these claims are investigated”.
An IOPC spokesman said: “We will keep the involvement of any further serving and former officers under review as more information comes to light.”