A British Transport Police (BTP) officer who harassed an Asian woman in London last year got to keep his job following a misconduct investigation.

Inappropriate behavior: The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which conducted the investigation, said Imran Aftab had inappropriately used his status as a police officer to harass a female jogger and make “sexually inappropriate comments” while he was off-duty back in April 2020, reported The Mirror.  

• Aftab reportedly told the victim she was “too curvy to be Asian,” showed her his warrant card and asked for her phone number.
• He also tried to hug her, which the probe found to be a breach of coronavirus restrictions.
• The woman, who eventually complained about receiving racist and sexualized comments, sent the message, “help me,” to a friend.
• After she gave her number to Aftab, with plans to block him later on, he sent her six text messages.

Probe results: Once the hearing concluded on May 19, the IOPC found Aftab guilty of gross misconduct, reported MyLondon. He was given a final warning for his alleged offenses, which means he can remain in the force.

• “The evidence we gathered, including CCTV footage, found PC Aftab engaged with the woman without a ‘reasonable excuse’ and that he used his police identification for a non-policing purpose,” the IOPC said in a statement. 
• According to the IOPC, the BTP agreed that the officer “breached professional standards of behavior for honesty and integrity; authority, respect, and courtesy; equality and diversity; and discreditable conduct.”
• “Police officers abusing their position for sexual purposes erodes the trust and confidence of the public,” said IOPC Regional Director Sal Naseem. “It has no place in policing.”

Featured Image via British Transport Police