Merseyside's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Emily Spurrell has apologised for "inaccuracies" after she was criticised for commenting on an ongoing police disciplinary case.
The comments aired in the same interview where Ms Spurrell caused controversy by suggesting that Merseyside Police was "institutionally racist" - which Chief Constable Serena Kennedy flatly denied. Now Merseyside Police Federation, the body that represents rank and file officers, has also criticised her for mentioning the misconduct case during the discussion filmed by specialist policing and justice channel Policing TV.
Policing TV correspondent Danny Shaw asked Ms Spurrell about whether she would like to see senior officers given more power to "get rid of police officers" who are guilty of inappropriate conduct. The PCC responded: "It's a really difficult one. And I probably haven't got a fully formed view yet. I know that recently, for example, we've had an officer who is being investigated for misconduct for WhatsApp messages and completely misogynistic and racist comments.
READ MORE: Merseyside Police 'institutionally racist' says crime commissioner Emily Spurrell
"And actually, he was put on desk duty, because the guidance says last resort is to suspend them. But actually, the evidence was very damning. And you know, I had lots of queries to my office saying, Why is he still working? Why has he not suspended? This man is clearly not fit to be a serving police officer.
"But there obviously, is that due process you have to go through and there will be officers who maybe haven't done anything wrong, and you need to offer them that space, you know, and the representation to have their case explored. So I'm not sure what the answer is."
Ms Spurrell appeared to be referring to revelations, reported in the ECHO, about a Merseyside Police sergeant who was placed on restricted duties over allegations he and other officers had shared secretly taken photos of their female colleagues in a WhatsApp group. Merseyside Police said the case will be heard at a misconduct hearing on a date to be set.
A spokesman for Merseyside Police Federation, when asked about the other comments on Merseyside Police being institutionally racist, also flagged her mention of the disciplinary hearing. He said: "It is deeply disappointing to hear the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell allege Merseyside Police is institutionally racist. We refute this statement.
"Our members serve Merseyside to the best of their ability, running towards danger to help members of the public during times of emergency. Our members serve a diverse community and are proud to do so. Furthermore, it’s frustrating to see the PCC comment on an ongoing misconduct matter that is currently subject to Police Regulations."
When the ECHO asked Ms Spurrell's office about the criticisms made by the police federation, a spokeswoman said in a statement: "I understand from the force that I was factually incorrect about the ongoing Whatsapp case, please refer to the force in that respect.
"It would be inappropriate for me to comment further.”
The discussion on Policing TV caused tension after it became clear Chief Constable Kennedy and the force had not anticipated Ms Spurrell referring to it as "institutionally racist". The Chief Constable told the ECHO: "I categorically do not believe that Merseyside Police is institutionally racist. The history and impact of racism across policing and the harm this has caused to communities and colleagues is clear.
"There has been a lot of work done nationally and locally to understand and address this. We know that policing, like society, is not free of racial discrimination, bias and disproportionality. It still exists in some policies and processes, and we are taking action to change this. We collectively want to improve, we want to progress, we want to be better. We are not institutionally racist."
However anti-racism activist Chantelle Lunt, herself a former Merseyside Police officer and now founder of Merseyside Black Lives Matter (BLM) Alliance and Operation Withdraw Consent, said the comments did not go far enough and absolved individual officers of responsibility for a " racist culture " in the force.
She said: "I feel like Emily Spurrell goes to great lengths here to assure officers that they're not racist, it's the system. But it's both the system, and the officers. The officers are racist and the system protects them, and I am by no means saying that all officers are racist, but there's a culture within policing where black people are both failed as victims and overly-policed, and targeted and surveilled as suspects of crime."
It is believed that Ms Spurrell is the first PCC in the country to suggest their own force is institutionally racist. When asked about the comments yesterday, she acknowledged a "huge amount of progress" had been made in tackling racism by Merseyside Police and praised the efforts of Chief Constable Kennedy.
When asked about the comments, she said: "We must continue to be actively anti-racist if we are to win trust back, particularly among black communities. "That means being open and honest, owning the problem, and taking proactive steps to redress the balance."
However she was also criticised by her predecessor, former Labour MP and minister of state Jane Kennedy, who accused her of "seeking a quick headline" and a "low-blow" against Merseyside Police.
