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A disgraced detective who slapped a colleague on the bottom and called her a “naughty girl” has been put in charge of managing sex offenders.
DI Matt Banks, who lives in the Canterbury area, narrowly kept his job with Kent Police last year despite a misconduct panel ruling his actions were “belittling and sexist”.
And now he has been given a new role overseeing a team which monitors sex offenders following their release from prison.
The appointment has raised eyebrows among fellow officers, and Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield says she will taking up the matter with Kent Police.
One of DI Banks’ colleagues - based in the east of the county - told KentOnline: “How would you feel if you were a victim of a sexual offence and you knew the person overseeing the management of your offender had himself been found guilty of gross misconduct after slapping a woman on the bottom?”
DI Banks appeared before a misconduct panel at Kent Police headquarters in Maidstone in September last year.
The panel heard that in January 2020, DI Banks had made a round of tea and unintentionally missed out the officer, referred to during the hearing as DC.
She was making her own cup of tea at the office kitchenette after exchanging jokes with DI Banks about being left out.
DI Banks then walked over and slapped DC on the bottom, telling her words to the effect of “just leave it, you naughty girl, I’ll do it”.
The woman told the panel: “It was a hard slap. It was a slap on the bottom which was of force, loud enough to hear it, to feel it. It hurt and made me jump.”
DI Banks denied the use of the word “naughty”, claiming he said “cheeky” instead.
But the panel ruled he slapped DC and had said both naughty and cheeky, amounting to gross misconduct.
It “very narrowly concluded” that DI Banks - a highly commended officer - could keep his job, giving him a final written warning.
“I am concerned to hear about this case, as now more than ever it’s vitally important we restore confidence to women who need to report such behaviour..."
Chair Claire Harrington said of his behaviour: “This did not treat DC, a woman, fairly and with respect. The panel finds that DI Banks would not have acted in this way towards a male colleague.
“His conduct towards the DC was sexist and he used a belittling and sexist comment when hitting her on an intimate part of her body.”
But DI Banks has since been put in charge of the offender management unit for East Division, covering Canterbury, Ashford, Folkestone, Hythe, and Dover.
KentOnline understands the appointment was made within six months of the misconduct hearing.
The fellow officer, who asked not to be named, argues it shows Kent Police is “a blokey, white force that hasn’t changed much since the the 1980s”.
DI Banks has 20 years’ detective experience at Kent Police, according to his LinkedIn profile, and was promoted from detective sergeant to detective inspector in September 2019.
Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield is troubled by his new position.
She told KentOnline: “I am concerned to hear about this case, as now more than ever it’s vitally important we restore confidence to women who need to report such behaviour.
“I will be talking to Kent Police about this and will raise my concerns over the appointment of DI Banks.”
Superintendent Lopa McDermott, of Kent Police, told KentOnline officers are “always assessed for their suitability before taking up a new role” and disciplinary issues are “fully considered beforehand”.
She said: “In September 2020 a Kent Police officer received a final written warning after a panel led by an independent, legally-qualified chair decided that their actions in slapping a female colleague on the bottom and making an inappropriate comment amounted to gross misconduct.
“That officer has since changed roles and now works for Kent Police’s offender management unit, working to ensure violent and sexual offenders adhere to the terms of their release from prison in the interests of public safety. The role does not require officers to regularly come into contact with victims or witnesses.
“Officers are always assessed for their suitability before taking up a new role, with their previous experience, skills and any disciplinary issues being fully considered beforehand.
“We continue to expect the highest standards of professional behaviour from our officers and staff, the overwhelming majority of whom conduct themselves properly and professionally including those who have previously been subject to misconduct proceedings and learned from their mistakes.”
