Australia’s Top Police Officer Resigns Following Controversy Over Racist Comments

The Victoria Police announced the resignation of a top Australian police officer who was said to have made racist and obscene comments on YouTube under the pseudonym Vernon Demerest. Brett Guerin, the head of Victoria Police’s Professional Standards Command, was a police officer for 40 years. He was referred to Victoria’s anti-corruption watchdog last week after The Age reported that he had posted racist and sexist comments on the popular video-sharing website.

“Assistant Commissioner Brett Guerin has tonight tendered his resignation from Victoria Police. The Chief Commissioner has accepted this resignation. This action is related to an ongoing Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) investigation into recent conduct alleged against him,” the statement said on Feb. 26.

The alias reportedly used by Guerin has been linked to many posts and comments made on the social media that include references to “cheating dagos,” “third world dullards,” “Indian and Pakistani peasant(s)” and “jigaboo(s),” according to The Age.

“I’m afraid this is what happens when the lash is abolished. The jigaboo runs riot and out of control. The ‘boo needs the lash. The ‘boo wants the lash. Deep, deep down the ‘boo knows the lash provides the governance and stability,” commented Demerest under a video of a Somali pirate attack, The Age reported.

He is also said to have called Australian cricket player Greg Dyer a “cheating fellator, very much in the mould of some Indian or Pakistani peasant” after a controversial catch in a test match played in 1988 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, reported ABC News.

“I’m embarrassed about it, I’ve humiliated myself by doing it. This has been a big learning experience for me. Which is what we want our members to do, we want our members if they make mistakes to own up and make amends so they get better,” said Guerin while admitting that he is responsible for the comments on the radio station 3AW last week.

Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said on Feb. 23 that he had asked Guerin to take leave and step aside as assistant commissioner for professional standards, the Guardian reported.

Guerin is also said to have posted obscene comments online about former Police Association secretary Paul Mullett and former chief commissioner Christine Nixon. “She (Nixon) bent the Mulletmeister (Mullett) over and slipped a rather large schlong up his date courtesy of the Supreme Court’s decision this morning,” he reportedly commented using his alleged alias Vernon Demerest. He was referred to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission for these offensive comments.

In 2008, Guerin is said to have called former senior sergeant Mario Benedetti a “fucken wog.”

Guerin told the radio station that he did not think he had broken police ethical standards, and added that he had, however, “dropped the ball” and felt ashamed that his mother and daughters had read the comments.