Once again the New South Wales police force is in the news for sexual misconduct. A recent investigation has revealed sexual harassment of female officers by their male colleagues - with senior police turning a blind eye and in some cases providing cover to prevent complaints going further.
Women police say that this misconduct ranges from touching and groping to outright demands for sexual favours. Women who complain face discrimination and are usually given the worst jobs and often boycotted by colleagues and subjected to a wall of silence.
This new round of sexual allegations follows a scandal at the Gouldburn Police Academy when it was revealed police instructors were propositioning students with the offer of good marks and a high pass in exchange for sexual favours.
It seems nothing has changed.
Policing is a career fast finding favour with women - and an increasing proportion of this state's police force is now female. The problem seems to be a small, hard core of unenlightened male officers who need to be dragged, screaming into the twenty-first century.
The police commissioner has promised reform and has stated that sexism has no place in todays world of policing. He needs to put action to words and crack down hard - not only on the officers harassing women - but even more so on the senior ranks that are condoning and protecting them.
Nothing would bring the ranks into line more than the sight of police stripped of their warrant badges, denied a pension and discharged from the service and sent to face a civil court on sexual harassment charges.
If the police force is to be brought into line with the rest of the country - nothing less will suffice !
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