Officer dismissed following racist remark made in Bury police station

We’ve sacked an officer who made a racist remark in a police station which was called out and reported by a colleague.

PC Scott Dixon (35), of GMP’s Bury district, used the racist term about a Black officer last summer when officers were discussing an ongoing professional standards investigation into alleged discriminatory behaviour.

He argued that the comment was not used in a malicious manner and was while he was tired from successive extended night shifts. Our Professional Standards Directorate treated the issue seriously and referred it to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) who carried out an independent investigation.

The IOPC recommended to us that there were grounds for gross misconduct, which we agreed.

Today (27 February), the case of gross misconduct was proven, and PC Dixon was dismissed by Chief Resources Officer Lee Rawlinson and barred from policing, meaning he cannot serve in police uniform again.

We are clear that there is no place in our organisation for any discriminatory behaviour, even if it is intended as ‘banter’.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Boyle, our lead for local policing, said: “What PC Dixon said was appalling, which he accepts. We have absolutely no tolerance for any such deplorable language or discrimination anywhere in GMP.

“PC Dixon’s reaction to our internal investigation was totally at odds with our response to the serious initial allegations of discrimination. While our Professional Standards Directorate made immediate enquiries to thoroughly investigate, PC Dixon decided to display the behaviour we’re so keenly rooting out.

“There can be no excuse for using racist words. We were absolutely clear when we adopted the Angiolini recommendations a year ago that being an anti-discriminatory organisation means no tolerance to any such behaviour or language in our police force. This is the least our officers and the public rightly expect.”