A former New South Wales police officer has spoken to the ABC about a toxic culture which he claims subjected him to homophobic abuse and discrimination throughout his career. The former Sergeant hopes telling his story will influence the culture review recently announced by Police Commissioner Karen Webb.
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00:00Peter can't show you his face, but he is one of many who have recently left the NSW Police Force.
00:08He joined the force in the late 90s, but kept his sexuality a secret.
00:13I had a pretend girlfriend when I was down at the academy.
00:16The derogatory comments towards homosexuals was constant.
00:21But four years into his career in the early 2000s, Peter was outed at a work function.
00:27I went to work the next day because I had to retrieve my firearm to go down to Goulburn Academy for a course.
00:34And a male consul had the keys to the gun safe and I asked for them and he spat in my face and said,
00:43we don't want you a top here.
00:45Peter was then shocked by his supervisor's reaction.
00:49He said he was disgusted in me. The fact that I was gay was more disgusting than being assaulted.
00:55In the years that followed, while police marched in the Mardi Gras parade,
00:59Peter claims he was subjected to constant bullying at work.
01:03People used to wipe down the desk with a keyboard if I had been using it because I had germs.
01:10I had a nickname that lasted for a decade and it was to do with anal sex.
01:18He says many refused to work with him, while others spread hateful rumours.
01:23I was approached by a senior constable and he said he was sorry that I was sick.
01:27And I was like, what are you talking about? And he said, I heard you have AIDS.
01:33I said, no I don't have AIDS.
01:36Peter never made any official complaints because he believed it would only make things worse.
01:42In more recent years, he says the discrimination became less overt, but it didn't stop.
01:48Just last year, he says he witnessed homophobia from senior police during World Pride.
01:53Whilst I was standing with members of the Mardi Gras and other members of the trans community in Sydney,
02:00I overheard high up police saying derogatory homophobic comments.
02:06After developing PTSD, Peter felt he was given no support and no opportunity to progress.
02:12He left the force earlier this year.
02:15Do you believe you were treated differently because you were gay?
02:18100%. Yep. I never got the opportunity.
02:22Police Commissioner Karen Webb has already announced an official culture review as a result of our ABC investigation.
02:28While she hasn't yet committed to interviewing current and former officers as part of that review,
02:33she says it will investigate any discrimination suffered by employees.
02:38I have hope that it will change things, but it depends on how the review is conducted.
02:46Peter wants the chance to help change the culture for future generations of police.