Former Police Federation Boss Faces New Misconduct Probe Over Social Media Posts
Sergeant Richard Cooke, the former chairman of the West Midlands Police Federation, is currently facing a gross misconduct investigation concerning recent social media posts. This development comes after a High Court ruling earlier this year quashed a previous decision to suspend him from his federation role over separate social media comments.
Details of the Current Investigation
The current inquiry stems from complaints lodged by Ms Charlotte Smith from Warwickshire, who described Sgt Cooke's posts as "inappropriate and inflammatory." Ms Smith contacted West Midlands Police in April 2025 regarding comments Sgt Cooke had made on X (formerly Twitter). The comments in question were a re-post of an article concerning another police officer, former Inspector Paul Whitehurst, who was found to have committed gross misconduct. Sgt Cooke had appended his re-post with the remark that "many officers lives are also totally destroyed by false and malicious allegations and delays."
Ms Smith expressed that these comments were "deeply insulting, especially to women who have experienced abuse at the hands of men and, more specifically, male police officers."
West Midlands Police confirmed that a serving 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 force further stated that the investigation is being independently managed by Lincolnshire Police, and Sgt Cooke has not been suspended from duty.
Previous Legal Challenges
Sgt Cooke was previously suspended in December 2024 after suggesting that claims of widespread racism within the force were "nonsense." An investigation by the Police Federation of England and Wales had found that his comments breached professional standards. However, this decision was quashed by the High Court in January 2026, with Sgt Cooke asserting his right to free speech and claiming to be "the victim of a witch hunt." The Police Federation subsequently dropped a legal challenge against the High Court's decision.
