A junior SAPOL police officer ‘identifies as a furry’ when off duty

SAPOL sources have revealed that an officer “identifies as a cat” when off-duty and has caused a stir throughout the force.

A junior police officer has caused a stir within the force’s ranks after it was discovered they “identify as a cat” when off duty.

The officer, who is not being named, was based at an Adelaide station earlier this year when their personal preference emerged to colleagues.

Police sources have revealed the officer, who is believed to be in their late 20s, “identifies as a cat” outside of work on weekends.

The officer is understood to be referred to as being a “furry” when they are not on duty.

A junior police officer has caused a stir within the force’s ranks after it was discovered they “identify as a cat” when off duty. Picture: Scottie Simmonds.

Cambridge online dictionary defines a “furry” as a person who likes to dress up as an animal, but others say it’s more specifically someone with an interest in dressing up as anthropomorphic animals.

The officer has been described as associating as a cat when identifying as a “furry.”

Sources have said the young officer’s private views had caused a stir throughout the force.

However senior officers say police were “not aware of their preferences”.

“(SA Police) aims to ensure our workplace is inclusive and safe for all employees,” a force spokeswoman said.

“Individuals are given the opportunity to disclose how they wish to be identified at any given time.

“(SA Police) is not aware of anyone who identifies as a ‘furry’.”

Friends said the officer’s personal choice did not interfere with their work while in uniform.

Sources said the information was common knowledge around the officer’s metropolitan station, although it was claimed that their bosses were not aware of their personal life.

The office of Police Minister Dan Cregan declined to comment on the matter.

Experts in the area say the “furry” community is often misrepresented and misunderstood.

Sharon Roberts, an associate professor of Social Development Studies at University of Waterloo, is a co-founder of the International Anthropomorphic Research Project, known as Furscience.

In an 2022 article for The Conversation, where she seeks to debunk myths about children identifying as animals, Professor Roberts equates being in the furry community to being in a fandom “like anime, Star Trek or football”.

“They enjoy bonding with like-minded others over things they have in common,” she said.

But she emphasised this is a community that has many members from other marginalised groups.

“Depending on the study, we find more than 70 per cent of furries identify as LGBTQ+ and more than 25 per cent are gender-identity diverse,” she said.

“Furries are bullied at almost twice the rates of non-furries, and our forthcoming research indicates that four to 15 per cent are on the autism spectrum.”