A Metropolitan Police officer has been fired after making inflammatory comments about Jewish people and non-Muslims on social media. PC Ruby Begum, who served as a special constable, admitted to using discriminatory language such as “dirty Zionists. Hell is waiting” in her tweets. The 29-year-old also referred to non-believers as “kuffar” and made controversial remarks about the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. Over 25,000 posts from her Twitter account @ruby_beee between 2013 and 2019 were scrutinised during a police misconduct hearing.
Despite Begum arguing that her comments were only a matter of simple misconduct deserving a final warning, the panel found her actions to be “appalling”, “derogatory”, and “abusive”. Chairwoman Evis Samupfonda described the tweets as racist, discriminatory, and intolerant, falling well below the expected standard of behaviour for a police officer. She emphasised that Begum’s conduct was not only unacceptable but also damaging to public confidence in the Metropolitan Police.
During the hearing, Begum acknowledged her past behaviour, admitting to being immature at the time of the tweets. She expressed regret, stating, “It looks bad on paper, and I can see how immature I was… I made a mistake which I’m sorry for.” However, the panel dismissed her justification, pointing out that she had undergone equality and diversity training on two occasions – in 2014 when she joined as a special constable and again in 2016 upon becoming a full-time police constable.
The panel denounced Begum’s behaviour as a flagrant breach of professional standards, particularly considering that her inappropriate comments continued even after receiving training. The decision to dismiss her was made based on the gravity of her actions and their potential impact on public perception of the police force. Despite Begum’s rising profile in 2020 following an incident with anti-lockdown demonstrators, her reputation was tarnished by the offensive tweets that resurfaced in a 2021 report by the Mail On Sunday.
Begum’s case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of upholding professional conduct, especially for those in positions of authority and public trust. The panel’s verdict of gross misconduct emphasises the zero-tolerance approach towards discriminatory behaviour within law enforcement agencies. Moving forward, the Metropolitan Police aims to reinforce the values of respect, tolerance, and inclusivity among its officers to maintain public confidence and trust in the service.