After posting abusive tweets about Jewish and non-Muslim people, a Metropolitan Police officer was dismissed without notice.

At a police misconduct hearing Ruby Begum, 29, admitted she had used language such as ‘dirty Zionists’ when she was serving as a special constable. She denied committing gross misconduct.

Ms Begum also admitted that she had used the phrase ‘kuffar’ when she referred to non-Muslim people, and that she had made offensive comments about the September 11th terror attacks.

The hearing was told that between 2013 and 2019 around 25,000 posts were made on Ms Begum’s Twitter (now X) account. These included derogatory posts she had made about Jewish people, and phrases including ‘Dirty Zionists. Hell is waiting’ and ‘Zionists have no heart.’

When the panel questioned her about her comments she told them that they were about the Israeli government and the deaths of the Palestinians and that she ‘did not think it was a term of offence.’

Ms Begum said that if she had been describing Jewish people she would have just said Jewish people as she had nothing against that group and no hate towards them.

A series of posts were made by Ms Begum after the 9/11 attacks, which she stated were a response to the Islamophobic abuse that followed the attacks. She was not mocking those who had died.

She told the panel that in her opinion her behaviour had amounted to simple misconduct with a final warning being sufficient.

The Mets misconduct panel disagreed with her and ruled that she had committed gross misconduct. She had further breached the standards of professional behaviour regarding equality and diversity.

Ms Begum admitted to the panel that what had taken place was over ten years ago and she had since developed a lot through the police.

While her comments might look bad on paper, she said that she had been immature and made a mistake for which she was sorry.

The panel heard that Ms Begum had been brought up in a Muslim household in east London and her narrow-minded comments were the result of being raised in a ‘bubble.’

‘Appalling, derogatory and abusive’ was how the panel viewed her comments. 

They rejected her claims of immaturity because she was an adult as well as a serving police officer. They pointed out that she had undergone two courses of equality and diversity training, first in 2014 and later in2016 when she became a full time police constable.

Led by an independent legally qualified chair, the misconduct panel examined allegations that between 2013 and 2019 PC Begum had posted several discriminatory and offensive comments on her Twitter account. 

The posts remained visible even after she was appointed Special Constable and later a PC.

The Mets Directorate of Professional Standards, after receiving information about the posts, conducted a formal assessment. They decided that a conduct matter should be recorded against Ms Begum.

Ms Begum was notified about the decision in August 2022 and placed initially on restricted duties although on August 9th she was suspended from duty.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct determined that the matter should be investigated locally, and following the investigation concluded that it was a case of gross misconduct.

Ms Begum was dismissed without notice and has also been placed on the barred list which is held by the College of Policing.

People who are placed on this list cannot be employed by police, local policing bodies (PCCs), the Independent Office for Police Conduct or His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.

Chief Supt. Colin Wingrove, of the Met commented that there was ‘absolutely no place in the Met for any person with racist or otherwise hateful attitudes.’ 

He commented that the Met is working hard to build a culture where anyone can feel welcome and thrive. ‘People who undermine these goals do not have a place in the organisation. Neither are they suitable to serve Londoners, and they will feel the consequences.’

 

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