One Rotterdam cop fired, five more punished for sexist & discriminatory WhatsApp chat

The Rotterdam police have punished six employees for comments in a private WhatsApp group which were determined to be misogynistic, discriminatory or otherwise inappropriate. The police department fired one of the six, while the other five were given various penalties, of which the least severe was a written warning. The most severe was conditional dismissal with a two-year probationary period and transfer to another regional unit.

The severity of the sanction depended on their statements made in the chat group, and the level of their involvement. The employees must also participate in a diversity and inclusion awareness program.

The Public Prosecution Service had already decided at an earlier stage that a criminal prosecution would not be ordered because of this chat group. The management of the police team was informed about the chat group in September. Initially this involved nine employees, but it was decided that three employees should not face a disciplinary investigation. They did receive a written warning even though they did not have an active role in the chat group, because they did not confront their colleagues about the behavior they witnessed.

It is not the first time that Rotterdam officers have come under fire for offensive messages. In 2020, the Public Prosecution Service investigated a group of Rotterdam officers who had made racist statements in a WhatsApp group for their team. They allegedly referred to ethically diverse people as "kankervolk", "kutafrikanen" and "pauperallochtonen" - slurs which roughly translate to "cancer people," "cunt Africans", and "pauper immigrants."

Because it was a private chat group, the Public Prosecution Service also decided against prosecuting them closed chat group. The case led to a protest where hundreds of people demonstrated in front of the Marconiplein police station against racism within police ranks.

Rotterdam Police Chief Fred Westerbeke said he was very disappointed in the behavior of the police officers in the latest case. "The misogynistic and discriminatory messages do not fit in a professional organization. I expect every employee from my unit to treat colleagues and civilians respectfully, and to hold each other accountable if this does not happen. In addition, I expect them not to stir up divisiveness, and to contribute to working in a safe team and to the image of our organization. These six employees have not shown this with their behavior in the WhatsApp group," he said.

"With their behavior they damage confidence in the police," Westerbeke continued. "The subject of discrimination is frequently discussed within our organization. It cannot be the case that you exhibit this behavior as a police employee. This applies both during working hours and during your own time. The betrayed trust affects all our colleagues who, every day, make a difference in our district."