Help a Met Police Whistleblower Rebuild & Create Change

Hi, my name is Issy Vine.

From February 2020 to December 2024, I worked for the Metropolitan Police as a call handler and later as a dispatcher. I loved my job and took pride in helping people during some of the worst moments of their lives. But everything changed when I reported a colleague for misconduct.

This colleague made deeply inappropriate and harmful remarks while on duty—including calling a rape victim a "slut," mocking Sarah Everard’s murder, and expressing racist views about immigrants. He even followed my route home after a shift, leaving me terrified.

He was dismissed for Gross Misconduct by a panel at New Scotland Yard. But just four months later, the Director of our department overturned that decision on appeal. His reasoning? That while my allegations were believed and proven, dismissal was "too harsh" and that the original disciplinary panel (which included two women) had been "too heavily influenced by VAWG (Violence Against Women and Girls) concerns and the Casey Report." According to him, harmful views were permissible—until acted upon.

After that, things got worse. My formal concerns were buried (something the Met has since admitted). I was ignored, sidelined, and treated like a troublemaker. I constantly feared seeing this colleague again and my mental health deteriorated rapidly. I became so anxious and depressed that I almost crashed my car on the way to work.

Despite being told I should be in a low-risk role due to my mental health, I was repeatedly placed on live dispatching duties—an incredibly high-pressure position—simply because the Met was short-staffed. I feared I might make a serious mistake that could endanger officers or the public. And I knew if that ever happened, the Met wouldn’t protect me. So I made the impossible decision to leave.

Since then, I’ve had to sell my car and most of my belongings, and move back home just to get by. I never wanted to end up here—I just wanted to do the right thing.

I'm now working on my organisation, Speak Up Now UK (CIC) to support other whistleblowers like me. I’m pouring everything I have into that dream, but the truth is—I’m struggling. My media appearance has made it difficult to find work, and being labelled a "troublemaker" for speaking out hasn’t helped.

I know there are many others facing worse, and I don’t take asking for help lightly. But if you've read this far—thank you. I have a crowdfunder for anyone wanting to donate to the CIC, but this is purely personal. I was lucky to raise £750 last October to help with legal fees to take the Met to court which a final hearing is scheduled to take place in Jan 2027.

Any support, even sharing this page, means more than I can say.

— Issy