Response from Sir Mark Rowley to the online reaction to Cmdr Karen Findlay's appointment as BTP ACC

A statement from Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley:

On Friday it was announced that Commander Karen Findlay has been appointed as the new Assistant Chief Constable of BTP. This is a huge professional achievement for Karen and anyone who knows her or who has worked with her will recognise how well deserved it is.

Whilst she has rightly received many congratulations, the X post announcing her appointment has also been targeted by online trolls, many anonymous, making horrendous personal sexist and homophobic comments.

I am angry. My colleagues are angry. It isn’t acceptable and it’s happening too often.

The intensity of the racist, sexist, and homophobic abuse directed at police officers on social media is increasing alarmingly. At a time when we need to attract officers from under-represented parts of our communities this is hugely damaging.

Just in recent weeks we’ve seen officers become the victim of social media pile-ons for being from Eastern Europe or for appearing to be Muslim. We don’t have to look back far to see really prominent examples from across the country of female officers having their appearance, their hairstyles, their clothing or their perceived sexuality become the subject of ridicule or personal cruelty.

Police officers accept that their actions on duty will be scrutinised, sometimes in a very public way.

But it is wholly unacceptable that those whose profession is to protect and serve others increasingly face such intrusive, vile and hateful abuse.

We will offer Karen the support she needs. We will do the same for those other officers who have been targeted. But I urge people on social media to reflect on their actions. My colleagues deserve better.