An officer from the Metropolitan Police has refuted claims that she referred to black officers as “cotton-pickers.”
During a disciplinary hearing, it was stated that PC Mia Korell, who is also black, allegedly employed that phrase when she encountered Insp Alistair Phillips while both were off duty in Guildford on October 7, 2022.
At the session held in central London on Monday, Chloe Hill, a solicitor representing the Metropolitan Police, characterized the remark as “extremely offensive and derogatory.”
PC Korell rejected the accusation, asserting that the term is not commonly used in speech and does not reflect her usual language. She stated, “It’s not something you hear frequently in everyday discussion.”
Before discussing issues of racism in policing, the two engaged in a wider conversation, as revealed to the misconduct panel.
The hearing indicated that PC Korell used the term during a dialogue about black officers who did not perceive the Territorial Support Group (TSG) as a racist entity.
Insp Phillips testified that she inquired whether he believed the TSG, of which they were both members at that time, was racially biased; he replied that he did not.
“The conversation was quite straightforward,” Insp Phillips shared with the panel. “I am absolutely certain that was the exact phrase she used. It’s an exceedingly odd phrase to fabricate, and I have no motivation to invent a story.”
The panel learned that Insp Phillips notified PC Korell’s supervisor via email regarding her language choice on October 17, 2022.
PC Korell, who is pursuing a PhD titled “On The Experiences of Black Police Officers,” mentioned she encountered Insp Phillips after a long day of study at the University of Surrey.
“I was eager to return home and felt very uncomfortable,” she recounted, noting that she was simultaneously undergoing another misconduct investigation. “I was pregnant at the time, and standing for extended periods wasn’t advisable.”
The officer maintained that she did not start the conversation regarding racism within the TSG.
“Regrettably, I have yet to meet a black officer in the TSG who has claimed there are no racial issues and that it is not racist,” she commented during the hearing.
Should the panel determine the allegation to be valid, it could be categorized as gross misconduct, potentially leading to her termination, according to the Metropolitan Police.
The hearing is ongoing.
