Former West Midlands Police Federation chair investigated for social media misconduct
Sergeant Richard Cooke faces gross misconduct probe after comments on social media
Sergeant Richard Cooke, former chair of the West Midlands Police Federation, is under investigation for gross misconduct related to social media posts.
The investigation follows complaints made by members of the public, including Charlotte Smith from Warwickshire, who had previously reported a Warwickshire Police officer for harassment.
In December 2024, Sgt Cooke faced suspension after dismissing claims of racism within the force reported by Channel 4 News as "nonsense."
According to the BBC, the complaints stem from Sgt Cooke reposting a news article about Ms Smith’s allegations and commenting, "many officers’ lives are also totally destroyed by false and malicious allegations."
West Midlands Police provided us with this statement: "A serving West Midlands Police sergeant is under gross misconduct investigation following complaints from a number of members of the public relating to a number of social media posts."
"The officer has not been suspended."
"The investigation is being independently managed by Lincolnshire Police."
West Midlands Police confirmed Sgt Cooke's ongoing investigation but stated that he has not been suspended. The investigation is being independently managed by Lincolnshire Police.
Earlier this year, the High Court quashed Sgt Cooke’s removal from his Police Federation post over comments on racism within the force. Ms Justice Obi highlighted flaws in assessing his rights under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The High Court heard that Cooke described "safe spaces" where perceptions could be discussed as a "fishing trip to collect hearsay and innuendo to smear colleagues."
Khizra Bano, a former officer involved in the Channel 4 report, suggested Cooke’s comments were dismissive of relevant concerns.