Tribunal raises award for Firearm Officer to £820,000

A former West Midlands Police firearms officer, Detective Inspector Rebecca Kalam, who successfully filed a sexual discrimination and harassment claim has seen her tribunal award increased to £820,720. 

Originally granted £30,000 for injury to feelings, the employment tribunal determined that she would have reached the rank of superintendent if not for the mistreatment she endured. The augmented compensation includes provisions for the loss of earnings at the superintendent rank, considering a retirement age of 60, as well as compensation for the loss of pension.

During an employment tribunal last year, Kalam exposed what she described as a "toxic and discriminatory" culture within the West Midlands Police firearms unit. She detailed instances where she felt "extremely uncomfortable" due to the behaviour of certain colleagues.

One incident in March 2012 involved Kalam being subjected to a mock training exercise where her clothes were cut off, leaving her in only her underwear for first aid treatment. The exercise required officers to address a simulated "bullet hole" at the top of her left breast.

Additional instances of mistreatment included colleagues drawing male genitalia on noticeboards, Kalam being labelled the "poster girl" of the unit and being compelled to participate in a photo shoot while five months pregnant. 

In one particularly distressing incident, a fellow officer pushed her neck down with his foot during a press-up exercise, commenting, "Just because you have tits does not mean you cannot do a press-up."

Kalam recounted various other situations where she experienced differential treatment, such as not being provided with an "easy trigger" handgun like her male counterparts, being required to wear body armour designed for men, and being barred from attending assessment days for aspiring firearms officers.

In response to the tribunal's findings, Scott Green, West Midlands Deputy Chief Constable, issued a statement expressing regret that more had not been done earlier to address the serious issues raised by Mrs. Kalam. He apologized for the significant impact of these issues on her, as highlighted during the tribunal.

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