SAPOL Officer Who Took Her Own Life at Port Adelaide Police Station Made Bullying Complaint Before Her Death

A female police officer who took her own life at Port Adelaide Police Station this year had made a bullying complaint prior to her death, a colleague told a parliamentary committee.

Friends and colleagues of the woman are among a group of serving officers who have blown the whistle on what they say are serious cultural issues within SAPOL, difficult working conditions and a stigma around asking for help.

“Bullying is rife throughout the organisation despite a supposed change of culture following raft of sexual abuse allegations a few years ago,” a submission from a serving officer said.

“The day after the officer killed herself recently at West Adelaide, who incidentally made a complaint that she was being bullied, it was business as usual.”

“No contact from some managers and no real acknowledgment of the effect it might have on her ex-colleagues.”

“This is typical of a manager in SAPOL, straight to the point in email, no compassion.”

The submission said colleagues of the officer had to attend her funeral in their own time.

“That sends the message if your mental health is so bad that you take your own life SAPOL care so little that they make it hard for your colleagues to attend your funeral,” he said.

The officer said his best friend, another serving SAPOL member, had taken his life in February 2022.

Following the tragedy, he was diagnosed with PTSD and referred by the Employee Assistance Section (EAS) to an external program which he found helpful.

Submissions from upwards of 10 current and former SAPOL members were made public in April by the parliamentary committee, which is looking into support and mental health services for police. It is also probing the January 8 death at Port Adelaide.

In a separate submission, an operational officer of 21 years said she was friends with the woman who died, as well as another officer who died by suicide in November last year.

She said members do not trust the EAS, and fear that if they raise issues they will be “shuffled off to some desk job that they hate”.

“Morale is at an all-time low within SAPOL,” she said.

Another submission was sent in by a detective who said he had not been issued with a work laptop or mobile phone, and a large portion of investigators’ work was conducted on a shared desktop computer.

“A personal issue laptop and mobile phone would make all investigators work life considerably easier and less stressful,” he said.

A member of Crime Scene Investigation told the committee he was required to complete an annual psychological review but described a three-month wait for an appointment.

In a statement, SAPOL spat out the usual and unconvincing rhetoric that it took the mental health of all employees seriously and there were multiple avenues to access help.

In response to submissions, SAPOL said members were allowed to attend the funerals of colleagues while on duty “subject to operational requirements”.

It said the rollout of personal issue smartphones to all employees was “well advanced”.

SAPOL said the Port Adelaide death was subject to a coronial investigation and ongoing Commissioner’s Inquiry and it would be therefore inappropriate to comment.

Source

SAPOL officer who took her own life at Port Adelaide Police Station made a bullying complaint before her death, parliamentary committee told. The Advertiser.