A BBC investigation has revealed that police failed to adequately investigate a gang that was blackmailing people on Grindr, a gay dating app. Because, you know, in amongst recent reports of police racism and misogyny, it’s also worth remembering police homophobia.
The police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), ordered Hertfordshire Police to investigate whether “homophobic assumptions” were a factor in its failures. So we’ve got Herts police checking whether the Herts police are homophobes — fantastic.
Police homophobia — ‘A complete disregard’
The BBC investigation revealed five cases of suspected blackmail. Of those, at least four were connected to the same gang, who are still at large. Two of the victims killed themselves shortly after their encounters with the blackmailers.
Of these two individuals, one — Scott Gough — ended his life after the gang members showed up at his home demanding to take his new Range Rover. They also left a blackmail note with a phone number, stating that:
I think it’s in your best interest to give me a call.
Police records show that the phone number used by the gang in their blackmail note to Gough was already known to police. In fact, it was already linked to a case of blackmail via Grindr.
Scott’s partner, Cameron Tewson, stated that he watched police officers’ attitudes towards him change when he mentioned suspicions that his boyfriend was trying to hide his Grindr use:
When it came up in conversations I felt like it was just a complete disregard.
Likewise, police used the registration number of the gang’s car to identify suspects. However, officers never actually spoke to the individuals they traced as potential offenders. Similarly, they never took DNA or fingerprints from the blackmail note. In fact, the police didn’t make a single arrest.
IOPC investigation
Accordingly, Cameron complained to both Hertfordshire Constabulary and the IOPC regarding mishandling of the case. The watchdog’s report found that neither the blackmailing or Gough’s death had been “robustly investigated”. Worse still, the IOPC found that Herts Constabulary also mishandled the complaints about their earlier mistreatment of Gough’s case.
However, this wasn’t the only revelation uncovered by the IOPC investigation. It showed that the police received reports of two more blackmail cases within 10 days of Gough’s death. Both featured the same phone number as that left on the first blackmail note. Both times, the victims used Grindr to arrange a meetup, but were met by a gang of men making threats and demands.
The gang members made false claims that they were underage. They also tried to pass themselves off as “paedophile hunters” to the police. Despite a complete lack of evidence for this claim, officers then treated them as “individuals requiring safeguarding”, rather than treating them as a blackmail ring
An IOPC spokesperson said:
We work closely with members of the LGBTQ+ community, holding regular meetings with representatives from various organisations to explain our work and better understand their concerns.
Our thoughts remain with Mr Gough’s family, loved ones and all those affected by his tragic death. We are deeply sympathetic of their need to obtain answers to questions about the police investigation at the time of Mr Gough’s passing, and their wish to be listened to and heard.
Institutional homophobia
Back in 2023, the Casey Review found that the Met police was institutionally homophobic (and racist, and misogynistic). Herts Constabulary’s utter failures in these blackmailing cases show that this attitude isn’t limited to the Met. Likewise, homophobia is clearly an ongoing problem in the police today.
LGBT+ anti-abuse charity Galop stated at the time:
Galop was originally founded in 1982 to oppose the Met Police’s homophobic behaviour towards gay and bi men. Today, over 40 years later, the Baroness Casey Review confirms something that we have always known – that the Met is institutionally homophobic.
While the Casey Review focuses mainly on experiences of gay Met Officers and staff, at Galop we see directly how the Met’s institutional homophobia affects LGB+ victims of abuse and violence. We see gay people who are treated as suspects when they report being assaulted. We see police downplaying the abuse experienced by LGB+ people. We see gay men being told their sexual assault is “normal… part of the gay community”. We see lesbians and bi women experiencing both homophobia and misogyny from Met Police Officers. We see, in cases including the Stephen Port murders, how stereotypes about gay and bi people held by Met staff result in LGB+ people not being effectively protected from those who harm us.
Gay people who are treated as suspects when they report being assaulted. Police downplaying abuse experienced by gay people. Stereotypes meaning that gay people aren’t effectively protected. All of this was on full display from Hertfordshire Constabulary here.
Police bigotry isn’t going away, because the police are fundamentally opposed to reform. Their bigotry is entrenched and systematic. That simple fact means that they are a danger to the very minoritised communities they are supposed to serve.
