Sunday, December 19, 2010

Rogue cops in the Qld. police dog squad

Alarming that such cops had ANY contact with the public

POLICE dog handlers accused each other of stalking, assault, bullying and indecent exposure during years of turmoil and division. One officer was reported for emerging naked from a marked police car after a drinking session, and was accused of separately threatening to kill another handler's dog.

Internal documents reveal the problems facing the state's police dog handlers.

A report says an officer in charge of a drug detection dog spilled out of a police car "entirely naked" while on assignment in north Queensland in late-2007. "He walked the entire drive of the complex naked and which was approximately 100 metres long and at no time attempting to cover up his genitals," a sergeant reported.

Another colleague reported overhearing the officer discussing drink spiking and drugs at one of the local nightclubs earlier on the same night. "If you want to loosen women up, just drop a line of cocaine in their drink and you can do whatever you want . . . drop a few eccies and you will stay hard and up all night," the officer allegedly said.

Further allegations were made against the handler over alleged intimidation of the sergeant who reported his nude run, including a threat to kill her police dog.

There was uproar in the dog squad over plans to transfer the officer to a general police dogs position, with numerous handlers writing letters to oppose the move. "It stresses me that he is capable of carrying his firearm . . . after being on stress leave and making threats to kill persons and dogs," one senior constable wrote.

A separate sergeant claimed the officer had admitted driving past his house at night and shining a light through a bedroom window. An email from another officer says: "Past record illustrates that he responds to managerial guidance and discipline by making false allegations against the manager."

A police dogs training co-ordinator sent an official report in November 2008 highlighting concerns of officers about the handler, who is believed to have since left the service. He was not the only officer to face allegations.

The sergeant who reported his nude runs was accused of bullying by a number of officers and removed from the dog squad for more than a year.

SOURCE

2 comments:

Mrs Accountable said...

One of the officers who wrote to the co-ordinator about the non discipline and reward of the 'nude officer' to a general purpose position was targeted and dishonestly investigated, with non documented statements made after a minor mistake, which would normally be handled by managerial guidance. Two incidents nine months apart put together, pawed over and dishonestly reported. No benefit of the doubt was allowed the officer. He was transferred immediately, 10 days before he was questioned. Six days before the complainants were questioned The fact that the only witnesses said "the officer could not have seen the incident happen from the distance and the direction he ran in from" did not count. The investigators set out to prove what would justify a forced transfer. All evidence was not viewed, no effort was made to check the supervisor's statement. They took his statement "and that was the last he saw of them" Had they wanted to establish the truth they would have requestioned the two officers again. A Deputy on his last day rubber stamped the findings, and a QCAT member after quoting errant facts agreed with the Deputy.
The Shadow Minister for police (LNP then) phoned a senior north coast officer and verbally attacked the officer twice who was threatened by the 'nude cop' under parliamentary privilege. Nepotism was responsible for this LNP shadow minister's support of the nude cop. Another AAC told the officer, "regardless of the outcome of QCAT he will not return to the dog squad" To his stunned reply about his good work references and high PPA's, she replied "we are changing the culture of the dog squad" She also replied to work cover that she had not informed the officer that he could not renew his OST because he had taken advantage of EITP, when he was transferred immediately at 4pm on a Friday afternoon. Fortunately, after all the lies he had been told he had decided to tape this conversation. Not that ESC or the CMC were concerned about the proof that an A/C of police had failed to report to work cover honestly.
The shadow minister took information from the targeted officer and his family, promised to phone after he spoke to the Commissioner that night, "as he always did". However that LNP shadow minister failed to phone as he had promised, failed to answer his phone, and possibly passed the confidential information on to the A/C now transferred. The officer who was targeted to send the dog squad a message spent three years trying to establish the truth of the incidents, and fighting for his position and the dog he had trained from a pup of 3 months of age. This dog recently tracked the murderer who was apprehended, as filmed by channel 9 news.
The dog squad coordinator, the officer threatened by nude officer, and the one targeted as pay back, have all since resigned. All of these officers with at least 15 years unblemished service. Two others I am aware of have resigned, while the QPS and union protect the officers who were prepared to lie and collude to do an A/C's pay back. The Inspector who bullied by refusing permission to renew OST, and later denied that he was responsible and bullied another Inspector into not answering 4 grievances, climbs higher. ESC and CMC fail to be concerned that although he denied being responsible, another more senior officer has provided proof that he was in fact responsible.
We requested a meeting if for no other reason than to clear his name and to highlight the system that allows this bullying to be so successful. Both the government and commissioner refused our request. QCAT has untruthful facts documented. We were told by QPS solicitor that appealing the QCAT decision was useless due to the fact that QCAT will not return to the original evidence. Seems to me that some know exactly how to achieve exactly what they want to.

Mrs Accountable said...

It is also interesting when reading this now, I especially recall, and actually have paper work to verify the truth of the statement. The actual officer who reported the officer and his nude run, was transferred but the officer who threatened to shoot her and her police dog, received no discipline at all, in fact, was rewarded by being given the position he demanded, which was considered a better job.