Two senior police detectives under investigation for alleged porn scandal

Two senior police officers are facing internal police disciplinary action after an alleged porn scandal occurred while on duty in a regional police station.

Bundaberg police officers Andrew Self and Michael Bishop.

Two senior police officers are facing internal police disciplinary action after one was alleged to have viewed porn at work and shown the images to office colleagues and made sexist remarks, with evidence based on “covertly recorded conversations” by their colleagues, a tribunal has heard.

Detective Sergeant Andrew Self, stationed at the Bundaberg Criminal Investigation branch, is accused of having watched porn and other “inappropriate images” in the office and make unprofessional and sexist remarks, while his boss Detective Senior Sergeant Michael Bishop is accused of witnessing Det Sgt Self’s misconduct but failing to report it to superiors.

Det Sgt Self, a town hero and “Admiral of the Mud Navy” during the devastating Bundaberg floods of 2013, has been suspended.

Bundaberg police officers Andrew Self and Michael Bishop.

Det Sgt Self spearheaded an evacuation operation during the floods, moving about 1000 residents from the path of the rising Burnett River.

Details of the allegations against the pair were revealed in a decision handed down by the state’s top umpire on industrial disputes, the full bench of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.

The full bench - consisting of Justice Peter Davis, QIRC vice president Daniel O’Connor and Commissioner Daniel Pratt - ruled on Monday that they did not have jurisdiction to hear the case.

The Queensland Police Service told the hearing that the case belongs in the Supreme Court.

The pair of officers took their case to the QIRC in a bid to get a ruling barring the QPS from using conversations they allegedly had which were “covertly recorded” by their colleagues.

Det Snr Sgt Bishop was allegedly covertly recorded by colleague Sergeant Zanko, and Det Sgt Self was allegedly covertly recorded by a Senior Constable May.

The QPS told the QIRC that these conversations were “relevant evidence” against Det Sgt Self and Det Snr Sgt Bishop in their disciplinary cases.

Bundaberg police officer Andrew Self.

Det Sgt Self’s lawyers accused Snr Const May of misconduct for making the covert recording.

“This type of conduct has been described as “potentially corrosive of a healthy and productive workplace environment” and tribunals have said “the secret recording of conversations with colleagues in the workplace is to be deprecated”,” Det Sgt Self’s lawyers told the QIRC.

“Recording individuals within the workplace without their knowledge is ... in most cases, underhanded and unacceptable,” they submitted.

Det Sgt Self’s disciplinary proceeding began on September 27, 2023, and was issued by Acting Assistant Commissioner Roger Lowe, and against Det Snr Sgt Bishop on October 11, 2023, by Assistant Commissioner Darryl Johnson.