Eight officers have been suspended by Greater Manchester Police following a report of alleged racial discrimination.
GMP announced they had also restricted another officer and referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
The watchdog confirmed the officers were alleged to have engaged openly in “conversations of a discriminatory nature”.
The suspensions are not related the incident at Manchester Airport which saw a GMP officer suspended after a video circulated online of a man allegedly being kicked and stamped on the head.
Seven of the suspended officers are from the Bury district, and one is from Rochdale who was working in Bury at the time of the allegations.
The force said it has temporarily relocated officers to Bury to cover operational duties and minimise disruption within the district.
The head of GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate, Detective Chief Superintendent Mike Allen, said: “The reports we have received are deeply concerning and I hope to reassure the community of Bury, the wider public, and the GMP workforce that a full and thorough investigation is being conducted into these matters.”
GMP also made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in relation to both of these cases. The IOPC is investigating the first report and has reviewed and referred the second incident back to Greater Manchester Police to investigate.
The watchdog said the officers were alleged to have engaged in “conversations of a discriminatory nature” and they “openly engaged in conversations and either used, or failed to challenge, offensive language”.
IOPC regional director Catherine Bates said: “Officers are expected to maintain exemplary standards of conduct and professionalism. This type of behaviour has the potential to undermine the public’s confidence and trust in policing, in addition to the impact it has on officers who conduct themselves with integrity.
“We will conduct a thorough investigation to establish the evidence and ensure any discriminatory behaviour is dealt with appropriately. This does not necessarily mean conduct proceedings or criminal charges will follow and the status of all officers will remain under review throughout the investigation.”
