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Racist police email blasted as 'filth and disgust'

March 4, 2004 - Senior NSW police apologised today for an email containing racist slurs against Aboriginal people which was found circulating in stations in the state's west.

The contents of the email, found in four regional stations including the troubled towns of Bourke and Dubbo, were described as "filth and disgust" by Deputy Commissioner David Madden.

The discovery of the email comes just two-and-a-half weeks after a riot in inner-Sydney Redfern, sparked by members of the community who blamed police for the death of a 17-year-old boy.

"Such filth and disgust is inexcusable," Mr Madden said of the email.

"If it's been sent as a joke it's a sick joke.

"I would like to apologise to the entire state of NSW.

"This is cheap humour which has no place in this organisation."

He described the contents of the email as highly offensive, inflammatory and possibly discriminatory, and acknowledged that the timing was poor given recent events in Redfern.

Last month, members of the Redfern community staged a violent riot in which property and cars were damaged and 36 police were injured.

The February 15 riot began when some members blamed police for the death of Thomas Hickey, 17, who died after becoming impaled on a fence after crashing his pushbike. Some believed police had been pursuing the boy but police have denied this.

Mr Madden said today, following the riot, police had been trying to rebuild relationships with members of Aboriginal communities, which made the email more imprudent.

"It is extremely disappointing to see such an act," he said.

Police are currently tracking through the internal email system to ascertain the source of the message.

It was found in the inboxes of 35 officers, but the message is thought to have originated from a single source.

Most of the officers who received the email deleted it immediately or reported it to their supervising officers.

None appear to have forwarded it on.

"This is a significant cultural change," Mr Madden said.

The officer who sent the original message could face dismissal from the NSW police service and possible criminal charges under the Anti-Discrimination Act.

Source: AAP

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