Two Indigenous former NSW Police officers tell the ABC the force's overtly racist culture is contributing to the increasingly high incarceration rate of First Nations people.
Two former officers have warned that a racist culture within NSW Police is contributing to high Indigenous incarceration rates.
Commissioner Karen Webb has already ordered an official independent review of the organisation's culture, led by former Victorian equal opportunity and human rights commissioner Kristen Hilton, following allegations revealed by ABC News.Gomeroi man Steve Bartholomew left the force last year after a nine-year career and claims he experienced constant racism from colleagues and superiors.
"They started talking about letting all the blackfellas … drink it out and fight until the death and the last one gets shot as a prize," he said. Commissioner Webb's statement also said the force had "committed significant resources" to strategies aimed at Closing the Gap, including mandatory cultural awareness training.
The ABC's investigation has uncovered widespread allegations of bullying, discrimination and a dangerous lack of mental health support. But just a few months later, in late 2022, she signed a sworn police statement detailing the racist language allegedly used by her colleagues which prompted an internal investigation.In her sworn statement, seen by the ABC, the officer claims her colleagues openly made racist and derogatory remarks about Indigenous people during patrol shifts.
An internal investigation into the use of racist language is ongoing, while the two officers allegedly involved also remain on the force.
Sydney Nsw Police Indigenous Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Culture Karen Webb Racial Profiling Gomeroi Incarceration Prison Racism
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