‘Gay’ Policeman Quits After Hearing (Press, 18 October 1986)

A 20-year-old constable from Wellington resigned from the police force on 17 October 1986 after being acquitted of disciplinary charges that involved filing a false report regarding a transfer application. The constable admitted to misrepresenting his relationship status, referring to his male partner as his “fiancee” and claiming, incorrectly, that he required a transfer to be with her. A police disciplinary tribunal dismissed the charges conditioned upon the constable paying $500 in costs, including expenses for witnesses. Despite this acquittal, the constable felt that he would not be accepted within the police force, stating that the hierarchy had indicated they did not want him due to his homosexuality. He expressed his disillusionment with the police administration, noting that he believed further inquiries could arise despite the tribunal's decision. The constable disclosed that he had aspired to be a police officer since the age of 13 and had studied criminology before applying to the force at 19, unaware of any policies against hiring homosexuals at that time. He had applied for the transfer from Gisborne to Wellington to be closer to a fellow officer with whom he had been romantically involved. Although the police administration did not overtly state that his sexual orientation was the reason for his dismissal, they implied that it had affected his job performance. In a letter referenced by the constable, the head of personnel suggested that his performance issues were partly linked to his homosexual relationship. The constable maintained that the inquiry was more a matter of the administration wanting to dismiss him rather than an actual concern about work performance, reasoning that any officer under scrutiny could be found to have similar issues. The constable had received significant support from fellow officers but felt disappointed by the Police Association, which had only assisted with his salary during suspension after admitting to the false report. He voiced frustration with the time and resources spent by the police investigating his sexuality rather than addressing more pressing matters within the force. Following his resignation, he planned to return to university to study law. His lawyer, Bruce Scott, remarked that a false report concerning personal matters typically would not have escalated to such formal disciplinary proceedings if not for the homosexual aspect of the case. The police had indicated a desire to question the constable related to another minor disciplinary issue, which Scott contended had not been substantiated.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand