Top cop claims he was pressured

ONE of the state’s most senior police has been accused of trying to shut down a bullying investigation that was the subject of an IBAC probe.

Senior Sergeant David Bishop who alleges that he was bullied by superior officers in the Victorian Police Force outside the ...

ONE of the state’s most senior police has been accused of trying to shut down a bullying investigation that was the subject of an Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission probe.

Former senior sergeant David Bishop claims he was approached on behalf of one senior officer by another to get him to drop a bullying complaint against Supt Dean Stephenson in return for a “way out” of assault allegations against him.

Supt Stephenson, was accused in 2011, when he was commander of Melbourne’s northern division, of bullying Mr Bishop through a course of conduct including allegedly concocting two assault charges against him. Those charges were later withdrawn.

Mr Bishop said he was telephoned by a senior officer, whom the Herald Sun has chosen not to identify for legal reasons, and told he was calling on behalf of another officer, whom we have also chosen not to identify for legal reasons, to ask him if there was anything he wanted to “resolve” the bullying matter.

“He told me that I would end up ‘wearing the cost’ if I pursued my complaint because the force was ‘heartless over this stuff’ and said I should look to resolve the matter,” Mr Bishop told the Herald Sun.

Mr Bishop said he asked if the senior officer wanted him to withdraw his complaint against Supt Stevenson.

“He said withdrawing the charge and kissing and making up was an option and what the senior officer was hoping to hear — that I would put a line through it and say I wasn’t interested in pursuing it anymore, that I just wanted to clear my name,” he said.

Mr Bishop spoke to the Herald Sun after being told IBAC would take no further action in the matter.

“To me it’s abhorrent that a (senior officer) acting as an emissary for (another senior officer) would call up a complainant and offer an incentive to withdraw his statement in a criminal matter. It’s highly inappropriate,” he said.

Asked if the force was comfortable with the alleged conversation, Victoria Police spokeswoman Leonie Johnson would say only that an investigation into allegations of bullying by a superintendent was complete and that none of the allegations were substantiated.

“As such, no action will be taken against the superintendent,” she said. “All parties have been informed of the outcomes, and a copy of the report has been sent to IBAC for their review. We are satisfied that this was a thorough and comprehensive inquiry, conducted by an independent, external investigator.

“Victoria Police does not tolerate bullying. All allegations of bullying are thoroughly investigated, and while we do not believe bullying to be a systemic issue within the workplace, we are working hard to ensure the ongoing wellbeing of all our staff.”

Supt Stephenson remains in the force and works as a staff officer for Deputy Commissioner Tim Cartwright. There is no suggestion that Supt Stephenson knew that the officer called Mr Bishop in relation to the complaint against him, or that he had any involvement in the call being made.

Mr Bishop said he had no confidence in IBAC, describing it “as grossly incompetent and absolutely impotent”.

In 2012, he appeared before the Federal Government’s workplace bullying hearing in Canberra.

The 25-year veteran then told the Herald Sun he was willing to put his job at risk to speak out on behalf of 19 other bullied officers.

“I will tell the committee that workplace bullying in Victoria Police is substantial,” he said at the time.

“But what’s worse is the detrimental treatment of members who report bullying. It actually becomes worse than the bullying itself.”

Mr Bishop first raised his concerns with the Office of Police Integrity in 2011, when the matter was handed back to police to investigate internally.

Mr Bishop said the outcome of that initial internal investigation, completed by a seasoned investigator, remained unknown because the matter was then handed to a private workplace relations company to reinvestigate. That investigation has now been reviewed by IBAC, which replaced the OPI last year.

IBAC spokeswoman Hazel Penfold said its review was complete and Mr Bishop had been advised of this.

Asked if the alleged phone call formed part of their investigations she said: “For legal and operational reasons, it is inappropriate for IBAC to comment on whether or not any matter might or might not be the subject of an investigation.”

A State Government survey completed by 4200 police in May 2011 found 21 per cent had been bullied at work and 29 per cent had witnessed bullying at work.