An ex-police officer has lifted the lid on the ‘systemic racism’ he says Aboriginal Australians have suffered at the hands of his colleagues.
The former officer, who worked in Western Australia for eight years, said he could not ignore what he experienced in the police force any longer.
He referred to a ‘vicious cycle’ of racist comments and hatred towards Aboriginal people.
‘The general sentiment in WAPOL is so desensitized towards Aboriginals that they are not even seen as humans anymore,’ the ex-cop wrote on Facebook.
An ex-police officer has lifted the lid on the ‘systemic racism’ at the hands of his Western Australian colleagues against Aboriginal Australians. Pictured: Western Australian policemen in January 2020
‘The exact same situation with a white person can end up as ”have a nice day” or a warning… whilst [for Aboriginal Australians] it ends up violent arrest and abuse of power.’
The post, which was shared on June 4, comes amid heightened discussion about racial inequalities in Australia following Black Lives Matter protests across the globe.
Thousands of Australians took to the streets of major cities on Saturday in solidarity with the movement and to call for an end to Aboriginal deaths in custody.
The man said he witnessed senior officers ‘manipulate’ junior officers by making racist comments about Aboriginals.
‘The things they used to say about Aboriginals were more of a brainwashing of young constables and it was full of hatred,’ he said.
‘The constant bad mouthing about Aboriginals is so rife that it was acceptable to say anything about them.’
The former cop claimed officers described Aboriginal people as ‘animals’, ‘rats’ and ‘cockroaches’, and ‘the lowest race on earth’.
He went on to list a series of examples of racism within the department.
The post, which was shared on June 4, comes amid heightened discussion about racial inequalities in Australia following Black Lives Matter protests across the globe. Pictured: Protesters participate in a Black Lives Matter rally in Brisbane on Saturday
‘The general sentiment in WAPOL is so desensitized towards Aboriginals that they are not even seen as humans anymore,’ he wrote
One of the most horrific allegations was a police officer who made their computer wallpaper a photo of a dead Aboriginal person.
During a training session, the man said a detective told the class ‘we should have killed all the Aboriginals here in WA like in Tasmania’.
He said there is no seatbelt in the back of the police wagon so some officer would ‘purposely brake or drive erratically’ and the handcuffed person would be ‘thrown from one end to another’.
In his lengthy post, the former cop also alleged police officers approached Aboriginal people and said ‘provocative things’ before arrests.
‘And as soon as they raise their voice, they find themselves in the back of the van,’ he said.
‘Some Aboriginals usually were saying things as this is my land, ”you can’t do this to me etc.” and the response was ”no it is not your land, it is ours now, we conquered it” or ”it is too late we own it now”.’
Pictured: A traditional Indigenous welcoming ceremony takes place during the Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney on Saturday
The man said there was a requirement for a minimum number of arrests as part of a performance indicator, which led to police officers competing with one another.
‘The easier way to increase the arrest numbers were to go and pick on Aboriginals, as they were easy target,’ he said.
He said the culture in WA is based on making as many arrests as possible and looking good in the eyes of the bosses.
‘This leads to arresting Aboriginals,’ he said.
Pictured: A police officer keeps watch on crowd numbers at Cottesloe Beach during the coronavirus pandemic on April 10, 2020, in Perth
‘This should end. Many things have to change. Otherwise, business as usual, things will only get worse and this is bad for all of us.
‘We do not have to like each other but we have to respect each other.’
A WA Police spokesperson said they have taken steps to improve the relationship between officers and Aboriginal Australians.
‘The Commissioner of Police set the tone early in his tenure with an apology to the Aboriginal people for past injustices,’ the spokesperson said.
‘WA Police Force has undertaken significant steps to enhance the relationship between police officers and the indigenous community, including the development of a Reconciliation Action Plan and the establishment of the Aboriginal Affairs Division.’
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