Humberside detective sacked after calling black colleague 'choc ice'
11 December 2020, 18:42
A senior detective has been dismissed after a misconduct hearing was told he referred to a black colleague using "racist language", his force said.
Humberside Police said Detective Chief Inspector Stewart Miller was subject to a disciplinary hearing at Goole Magistrates' Court.
According to reports, he referred to a colleague as a "choc ice" while talking about him to another officer.
It is understood the door was open and his other colleagues heard him - which led to complaints being filed.
He had been suspended while an internal investigation was carried out.
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An independent panel, led by a legally-qualified chairman, heard he referred to a black colleague using racist language, and he has now been dismissed without notice.
Following the disciplinary hearing at the old magistrates building in Goole on Thursday, Humberside Police said his actions were found to have amounted to a breach of the Standards of Professional Behaviour contrary to Police Conduct Regulations, "in respect of discreditable conduct and equality and diversity".
Detective superintendent Matthew Baldwin, from the force's Professional Standards Department, said: "There is no place for this kind of disrespectful language or attitude in modern policing and we will not tolerate it from any member of staff.
"We are proud to say that the overwhelming majority of our officers and staff value diversity and inclusion and celebrate the wide variety of different cultures and backgrounds which make up our communities.
The DSU said the case proved "that our officers and staff will not accept this kind of language" and the force will proactively deal with racist language and behaviour.
"It's vitally important to us that the communities we serve know that they will be treated with courtesy and respect whatever their background," he added, "if we find that any officer or staff member is falling short of that standard, they will be severely dealt with."
