By james art 
Pc Mia Korell, who is part of the police’s Roads and Transport Command, claims she used the term to describe black officers who did not believe the Territorial Support Group (TSG) was a racist unit.
Pc Korell, herself a black officer, is said to have used this language when confronted by Inspector Alistair Phillips while they were both off duty in Guildford on October 7, 2022.
The pair had a wider conversation before they started talking about racism in the police, the misconduct commission heard.
After hearing evidence from Mr Phillips and Pc Korell on Monday, the panel heard from lawyers representing the Metropolitan Police and Pc Korell.
Chloe Hill, for the Met, told the panel sitting in central London during her closing speech: “The upshot of this is that the commission has to make a decision about the credibility of the two witnesses.”
“This (cotton pickers) is so specific and unusual that it is highly unlikely that Inspector Phillips misheard,” Ms Hill added.
“This clearly amounts to gross misconduct as it is such serious conduct that it could amount to dismissal.”
Earlier on Monday, Mr Phillips told the hearing that Pc Korell asked him if he thought TSG, which both officers were part of at the time, was racist, to which he said no.
Mr Phillips said Pc Korell then said that black TSG staff who did not agree that TSG was a racist unit were “just cotton pickers”.
Pc Korell denied using the term ‘cotton pickers’ and told the panel: ‘It’s not a term you hear often in conversation, it’s not part of my vernacular.
“I know of its existence but I haven’t said it, it seems strange to me.”
Rebecca Hadgett, representing Pc Korell, told the hearing: “This is clearly a simple factual dispute, whether the words were used or not.”
She asked the panel, chaired by Commander Jason Prince, to consider the kind of person Pc Korell was and the evidence of her character, citing her “hard work, dedication and passion”.
The panel is expected to return its decision on Tuesday.