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| NEWS > 10 January 2007 |
Other related articles:
Chief's report led to charges
A "confidential" report by Chief Bill Blair persuaded the Toronto Police Services Board to unanimously approve 91 discipline charges against 11 ex-drug officers, court documents show.
Blair's report, contained in a divisional court file, lists allegations that:
- Drugs were given to informants.
- The spending habits of a couple of police officers were "consistent with the allegations of theft."
- A potential witness had "a threatening telephone call."
- A "slush fund" was kept for "food and entertainment."
The lion... Read more
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 Article sourced from
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Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney
10 January 2007
This article appeared in the above title/site.
To view it in its entirity click this link.
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Harassment part of police life
SEXUAL harassment is an entrenched part of police culture in NSW and is often condoned by management and colleagues, a report to the police commissioner says.
A "significant number of officers" did not know what constituted harassment and those who complained about it were likely to be victimised.
A sex scandal at Goulburn police academy last year was the catalyst for the report, compiled from interviews with serving officers by Chris Ronalds, SC, a former counsel assisting the Independent Commission against Corruption.
The Police Commissioner, Ken Moroney, yesterday promised to adopt the report's recommendations, which include setting up a specialist unit to deal with sexual harassment.
He appointed four working parties to prepare an action plan. This prompted the Opposition to ask why more had not been done to tackle the problem.
Ms Ronalds spoke to 124 officers after advertising for information on sexual harassment. Fifty-nine reported sexual harassment, including "repeated unwelcome requests for sexual favours, unwelcome physical contact and lewd comments".
Thirty-one reported victimisation after complaining, and 40 reported sex discrimination.
Ms Ronalds found "a number of identified acts of sexual harassment are condoned by management and colleagues". Some officers regarded showing pornographic images on mobile phones and "graphic sexual banter" as acceptable behaviour, she said.
The report found "an inadequate level of knowledge and understanding of a significant number of officers at the conduct which constitutes sex discrimination and sexual harassment".
It was curious that the force had no discrimination policy nor any "clearly defined, objective standards" on workplace conduct, the report said.
Ms Ronalds found that some officers - including superiors - were closing ranks to protect perpetrators, including serial harassers.
"Complainants suffer from ostracism, bullying, stalking, verbal abuse and intimidation by their colleagues who support the perpetrator," she wrote.
When some officers who complained were transferred, their new station was warned.
There was a persistent failure to maintain confidentiality of the contents of a complaint and a failure of management to deal with bullying, Ms Ronalds said.
In response to the report, Mr Moroney denied he had been asleep at the wheel after more than four years in the commissioner's chair.
He said he was personally reviewing every complaint in light of the Goulburn affair, which became public in August with the release of an Ombudsman's report showing officers had been involved in serious sexual harassment incidents at the academy and escaped sanction.
The Opposition police spokesman, Mike Gallacher, questioned why such behaviour was still occurring so many years after the Wood royal commission. The behaviour of police, who administered apprehended violence orders, had to be better than that of people in other organisations, he said.
Since August three more sexual harassment complaints had been received about the Goulburn police academy, two officers had been transferred and another investigation was continuing, the commissioner's office confirmed.
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