Police watchdog order Metropolitan Police to reinvestigate “offensive and racist” FB group after Traveller Movement appeal

The Police watchdog has ruled that a Metropolitan Police investigation into “racist” comments about Gypsies and Travellers on a secret Facebook group for serving and retired police officers called ‘I’ve met the Met’ was not thorough enough, because it had failed to contact any of the officers using the group.

The Independent Police Complaint Commission (IPCC) has ordered the Metropolitan Police to re-investigate the Traveller Movement complaint and to access the Facebook group and find, contact and interview all serving police officers who ‘liked’, commented on, or viewed the “racist” comments which included posters calling Gypsies and Travellers “f*cking pikeys.”

Reacting to the news, A Traveller Movement spokesperson told The Travellers’ Times that: “We would like to thank the IPCC for their diligence in investigating our appeal. What is often called the last acceptable racism is obviously not acceptable to them.”

The comments – described as “offensive and racist” by the IPCC - were posted on the secret Facebook group called ‘I’ve met the Met’. The Facebook group made national headlines late last year, when they were uncovered by the Traveller Movement and a complaint was lodged with the Metropolitan Police.

Screenshots of the comments held by the Traveller Movement and given to both the Metropolitan Police and the IPCC – and seen by The Travellers’ Times -  show the group’s members discussing their hatred of “low life gypsies”. Both Gypsies and Travellers are officially recognised as ethnic minorities, making discrimination against them illegal.

“I never knew a pikey could be offended,” read one comment. “I thought they were devoid of all normal feelings and thoughts … just my opinion based on many years of dealing with these despicable people.” 

Another said: “There is not a small minority of criminals from the GT [Gypsy and Traveller] community – to all intents and purposes they all depend on crime.”

The initial complaint to the Metropolitan Police was dismissed and no action was taken. The Traveller Movement, who described the initial investigation as “shambolic”, appealed to the IPCC in late December. The IPCC investigated the handling of the complaint by the Metropolitan Police and made their decision late last week in a letter to both the Metropolitan Police and the Traveller Movement.

The letter – seen by The Travellers’ Times – states that: “Considering the nature of some of the comments made on the thread it is reasonable to suggest that the officers concerned should have been contacted and asked why they decided to join the group and make the comments and also why they did not report the group or oppose the comments.”

The IPCC also reminds the Metropolitan Police that any officers who saw the thread, which is “clearly of an offensive and racist nature”, were “required” by the police Code of Ethics to “take a proactive approach to opposing discrimination.”

The IPCC also criticises the police for failing to ask the Facebook Page administrators – who are believed to be serving or retired police officers - for permission to view the page.

Yvonne MacNamara, CEO of the Traveller Movement said:

“We look forward to the re-investigation of our complaint by the Metropolitan Police. We hope that this time round they actually contact, interview and, where appropriate, discipline the serving police officers concerned.”

“Police officers must be seen to be free from racial prejudice and engaging in racist online activity undermines the whole ethos of the Police force.”

“We fear that the nature of the comments are the tip of the iceburg and are a reflection of both discriminatory practices and a canteen culture of racism towards the UK’s Gypsy and Traveller citizens.

“We hope that this whole debacle prompts Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe to follow the example of Thames Valley Police Service and order a root and branch review of how the Metropolitan Police Service treats Gypsies and Travellers – whether they are victims of crimes, suspected perpetrators, or their own police and support civilian staff.”