A Metropolitan Police officer has kept his job despite a misconduct panel’s finding that he acted in an “inappropriate, oppressive and sexist manner” to a female recruit he was training. 

A misconduct hearing found that DS Douglas Musisi “pestered” the trainee and abused his position of power to inappropriately impose himself on the her personal life. 

He told her she should send photos of herself to him and made late night phone calls to her, joking that if she didn’t answer he would “find her”. 

On one occasion when she turned her phone off to avoid his messages she later turned it back on to find that he had sent a ‘jump scare’ clip of a clown appearing in a house. 

DS Musisi’s misconduct hearing lasted for five days after which it was concluded: “The panel is entirely satisfied that, cumulatively, the breaches amount to gross misconduct. 

“DS Musisi targeted and pestered Officer A, using his position and powers of a Lead Trainer, building his level of contact with her culminating in a lengthy telephone call during which he made personal comments about her appearance and requesting photographs of her in language linking it to assignments which she was required to complete for her initial training. This was serious and entirely unacceptable.” 

The panel added: “DS Musisi failed to treat Officer A with respect and courtesy. He failed to adhere to appropriate and professional boundaries by engaging in unnecessary and repeated communications with her, a number of which were hours after the end of her shifts. 

“Officer A was vulnerable as a student and DS Musisi inappropriately imposed himself into her private life, abusing his position of trust and power as the Lead Trainer.” 

Despite these conclusions, the panel decided that DS Musisi should be given a final written warning to stand for five years. 

The panel said that while the trainee interpreted his request for photos as a request for naked or explicit photographs, he did not explicitly say this. 

The panel said: “There was no indication that DS Musisi had been provided with detailed training including appropriate boundary setting for the role of trainer and Lead Trainer. 

“The panel did not find there was an express request for explicit or nude photographs and the tone and context of the conversations during which, in terms of the conversation in November 2020, inappropriate comments were made, was light hearted and jokey rather than bullying and threatening.” 

Miss Harrington, chair of the panel, concluded: “Having considered the entirety of the relevant matters in detail, the panel has concluded that the appropriate sanction is a final written warning with a duration of 5 years. 

“This finding of gross misconduct and a sanction of a final written warning with the maximum length of 5 years is a serious and significant outcome to this process and should be understood and recognised as such.”