A female firearms officer who was stripped to her underwear during a training course has won £30,000 in a sex discrimination claim.
Detective inspector Rebecca Kalam worked for the firearms unit of West Midlands Police. In an employment tribunal earlier this year, she described a “toxic and discriminatory” culture where she was made to feel “extremely uncomfortable” by some of her colleagues.
In March 2012, Kalam was made to perform a role play in a mock training exercise where her clothes were cut off and she was stripped to her underwear in order to receive first aid.
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Officers would have to treat a “bullet hole” at the top of her left breast, the tribunal heard, which made her feel uncomfortable.
She said there had also been incidents where colleagues would draw male genitalia on notice boards at her station, that she had been made the “poster girl” of the unit, and forced to take part in a photo-shoot when she was five months pregnant.
One fellow officer told her: “Just because you have tits does not mean you cannot do a press-up”, having pushed her neck down with his foot while she was carrying out the exercise.
Kalam described several more scenarios where she had been treated differently, including not being given an “easy trigger” handgun like her male colleagues and being expected to wear body armour designed for men.
In late 2020, she was barred from attending assessment days for aspiring firearms officers. A planned transfer to a new role in the Criminal Investigation Department at the force in January 2021 was delayed.
She was medically retired from the force due to her treatment, and initially sought £1.2 million in compensation for aggravated damages. She has been medically unable to work since April 2022.
Employment Judge Camp remarked that had she not been subject to such treatment, she would likely have gone on to promotion to chief inspector or superintendent.
He added that she “remains substantially injured to this day”.
However, in remedy, the tribunal decided Kalam was not entitled to aggravated damages. Instead, it ordered West Midlands Police to pay her £30,000 for injury to feelings.
In a statement, deputy chief constable of the force Scott Green said: “I am sorry that more was not done sooner to address the serious concerns that Mrs Kalam raised and for the impact these have had on her.
“There is no place for misogynistic, discriminatory or disrespectful behaviour in policing and we are working hard to set and reinforce the highest professional standards.
“Under the leadership of Chief Superintendent Sarah Burton, officers and staff in the firearms unit have worked hard over the past two years to improve culture, standards and the working environment, and significant progress has been made.”
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