Devon and Cornwall Police has hit out against a series of sexist comments made about female officers on their social media channels.
The derogatory comments were left on the force’s Facebook page when they followed the work of two female officers at the weekend.
Numerous sexualised comments were made, including: “Get on Only Fans, get that ridiculous lying uniform off” and “I wouldn’t mind the one on the left, I’d happy let her put the handcuffs on. Does she come with a whip.”
Chief Constable Will Kerr condemned the comments as “unacceptable” and “disappointing to read in the 21st century”. The force limited who can comment on the post following the remarks.
Other comments called into question the ability of female officers to do their job in the police, including: “They couldn’t arrest a drunk squirrel” and “You couldn’t honestly send these two to an emergency. One drunk fella could step on them by mistake let alone a criminal attempting to flee from a crime. So then you’d need to call male backup, taking twice the amount of officers on one call”, as well as “Two female police officers should never be able to work together, they can be overpowered far too easily.”
Another post called the female officers “weak and tiny”.
Chief Constable Kerr of Devon and Cornwall Police, where women now make up 35.3 per cent of police officers, said: “Women’s advancement in policing, and improving their representation, has been vital in positively changing our culture in policing, and it is reassuring to see that representation increasing.
“The comments bring into focus the issue of misogyny within our society, which can be seen, heard, and felt, in almost every walk of life and in every organisation.
“Sadly, policing is no exception, including my own organisation. Standards and behaviours in policing are currently under intense scrutiny- and rightly so. We continue to shape our Force, ensuring that behaviours are of the highest standards, but still have a way to go. However, we all have a responsibility to challenge misogyny and be a society that doesn’t look the other way.”
Since April 2020, 42.6 per cent of new joiners to the force have been female.
