Five officers from special police force Wayne Couzens worked for investigated over sharing offensive material
FIVE officers from the special police force which murderer Wayne Couzens used to work for are being investigated over sharing offensive material on WhatsApp.
A chief inspector, an inspector, a sergeant and two constables with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary are suspected of being in the online chat.
The group is believed to have been discovered when the chief inspector had his phone seized when arrested over other matters by Kent Police.
They all face misconduct hearings and have been suspended from duty at the force’s base in Dungeness, Kent.
Couzens, 52, worked there before he joined the Met Police and later murdered and raped Sarah Everard, 33, in 2021.
Catherine Bates, Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) regional director, said: “Messages like the ones shared in this group have absolutely no place in civilised society.”
A spokesperson for the police watchdog said: “We decided that an investigation was required into the officers’ conduct and that it was suitable for the matter to be investigated by the force’s professional standards department.”
A CNC spokesman said: “We have a current investigation which relates to five Dungeness officers.
“One is a CI who has been suspended for some time in relation to other matters. This is a Kent Police investigation.
“The four newly suspended officers are all stationed at Dungeness.
“The matter was referred to the IOPC who determined that the CNC should investigate and did not take over the investigation. That investigation is ongoing.”