Ex-Coffs policeman Alex Cooney releases ‘Cops for Covid Truth’ video

A Coffs Harbour police inspector has brushed off the latest ‘Cops for Covid Truth’ video from former highway patrol officer Alex Cooney.

A serving Coffs Harbour policeman has brushed off the latest online instalment from former officer Alex Cooney, in which he airs concerns about officers enforcing public health orders.

The former Coffs-Clarence highway patrol officer has claimed in an online video the use of officers to enforce public health orders is “unjustifiable, unlawful and eroding the relationship between the police force and the community”.

He also refers to Covid-19 as an “alleged virus”.

It comes after Mr Cooney sent an open letter to police commissioner Michael Fuller on October 26 last year with claims about global and corporate agendas.

His nine-minute video released at the weekend says “police are worried about what they are being asked to do” but he could not speak out when he was a serving member of the police force.

In the video he claims he always went above and beyond in his years of service.

As recently as October last year the Coffs-Clarence Police District Facebook page praised his work as a highway patrol officer and featured a photo of him at the Grafton PCYC where he spoke to young people about road safety.

Alex Cooney (far left) in Coffs Clarence Police facebook post in October 2020.

On Monday, current Police Inspector Ben Atkinson distanced himself from the ex-cop and emphasised the enforcement of public health orders remained a major priority for local officers.

“The Public Health Act is a big focus for us and while restrictions have eased we are still enforcing regulations to help ensure Coffs doesn’t go back into lockdown,” Inspector Atkins said.

When asked about Mr Cooney’s latest video he said he would not comment.

“It doesn’t warrant comment as far as I am concerned,” he said.

It comes after former Lismore magistrate David Heilpern spoke out to say public health orders were legitimate laws and fully enforceable.

His comments came in relation to divisions different viewpoints on the virus had caused in the Byron community.

“The orders certainly are law and they are enforceable,” Mr Heilpern, who now works as a lawyer, said.

“Unless they’re successfully challenged, they’re fully enforceable and they are legislation that applies to all people.”

He said there had been no such successful challenge.

“There is a big difference between saying I don’t agree with the law and saying this law does not apply,” he said.

Mr Cooney is working with an organisation called Advocate Me.

Attempts to contact Mr Cooney through Advocate Me were unsuccessful.