Another one to add to the disaster that is VicPol.Victorian...

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    Another one to add to the disaster that is VicPol.

    Victorian anti-corruption watchdog reveals full extent of former police officer's 'offensive' trolling

    The former head of Victoria Police's ethical standards department used three aliases to publish dozens of homophobic, racist and offensive posts on social media, Victoria's anti-corruption watchdog has revealed.

    In a special report tabled to parliament today, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) also noted former assistant commissioner Brett Guerin allegedly used racist language against a colleague during his time in the force.

    Mr Guerin stood down from his position at Victoria Police in 2018 following allegations he used at least one online alias to make "crude and coarse" comments about people, including former police commissioner Christine Nixon.

    At the time, Mr Guerin was assistant commissioner of the Professional Standards Command (PSC), a unit of Victoria Police responsible for handling complaints about police conduct and overseeing ethical standards.

    An 18-month IBAC investigation that concluded in 2019 found while Mr Guerin's actions were "offensive and inappropriate", they did not meet the standard required to file charges.

    But in a special report tabled to parliament today, IBAC revealed Mr Guerin had used three online aliases to engage in online trolling, both on and off duty.

    The watchdog Mr Guerin made hundreds of social media posts from 2016 to 2018 under the pseudonyms Vernon Demerest, Clive Howlett-Jones and Grange Callendar, with the investigation identifying at least 70 that "could be deemed offensive".

    Portrait of Brett Guerin
    Brett Guerin resigned as an assistant commissioner with Victoria Police in February 2018.(LinkedIn: Brett Guerin)

    The report said Mr Guerin's trolling extended to commenting on Victoria Police matters and he occasionally used knowledge he obtained from his position as an assistant commissioner in posts that were "often favourable to Victoria Police".

    Mr Guerin told IBAC at the time of its investigation his comments were often made out of frustration or to "correct the record".

    "… I was defending my profession. These people were attacking it," Mr Guerin said.

    "They were alleging that [Professional Standards Command] and Victoria Police generally cover up corrupt cops. I know that's not true."








    Victorian anti-corruption watchdog reveals full extent of former police officer's 'offensive' trolling - ABC News
 
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