Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton backs senior staff

VICTORIA Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton has taken the extraordinary step of issuing a statement saying that anybody with “concrete information” about allegations regarding his senior staff should report them to a specialist task force set up to look into sexual harassment and predatory behaviour by officers.

Assistant Commissioner Brett Guerin has sensationally quit.

VICTORIA Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton has taken the extraordinary step of issuing a statement saying that anybody with “concrete information” about allegations regarding his senior staff should report them to a specialist task force set up to look into sexual harassment and predatory behaviour by officers.

Mr Ashton released a statement today seeking to quash rumours surrounding three of his senior staff.

He had not been notified of any inappropriate relationships between senior members of his command team and other members of staff, Mr Ashton said.

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The command group is made up of a total of about 35 deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, commanders and executive-level public servants.

Mr Ashton said: “I am aware of a rumour that three ... have self-reported inappropriate conduct to Task Force Salus and to me.

Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton. Picture: Nicole Garmston

“This is not true. It is pure rumour and has the potential to damage reputations. Task Force Salus exists to investigate sexual harassment and predatory behaviour by Victoria Police staff.

“If any person has any concrete information other than mere salacious rumour they should provide that information to Task Force Salus so that it can be investigated with IBAC oversight.”

A Victoria Police spokesman said no similar complaints had been investigated by any other unit.

“Investigations by Taskforce Salus into inappropriate relationships have spanned members at the ranks of Constable to Superintendent only,” a Victoria Police spokesman said.

The Herald Sun is not suggesting the rumours are true, only that they had been circulating and had been raised with the Chief Commissioner.

Earlier, Victoria Police confirmed it is willing to hand over phones and computers used by Brett Guerin to the anti-corruption watchdog, amid fears the state’s top professional standards officer was using more fake names in his online trolling.

Assistant Commissioner Brett Guerin sensationally quit last night amid an IBAC investigation into offensive online comments.

Assistant Commissioner Brett Guerin has resigned.

Mr Ashton condemned Mr Guerin’s behaviour as “abhorrent”.

“It’s not consistent with our values, it’s not consistent with the work we’ve been doing with the community,” Mr Ashton said.

“This behaviour is completely unacceptable.”

“He’s disappointed that he feels he’s let the community down and Victoria Police down.

“He feels a great deal of contrition about that.”

Mr Guerin, one of the state’s most senior officers, was stood down last week after admitting he was behind an anonymous Facebook account which criticised former Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon and former Police Association boss Paul Mullett.

Mr Guerin also made other racially charged comments online, according to media reports.

Mr Ashton said the revelations of Mr Guerin’s comments had shocked people within the force who knew him well and considered him to be a “passionate” leader of Professional Standards Command.

“It’s just so out of character with the person I know,” Mr Ashton said

“I’m a bit shocked.

“It’s so far below the expectation of any police officer.”

Mr Ashton said his office may have received complaints about Mr Guerin last year.

The comments were critical of The Community Advocacy Alliance, run by retired Chief Commissioner Kelvin Glare. Picture: Josie Hayden

But he said he was only made aware of the complaints in recent weeks.

When asked about specific letters sent to his office by the Community Safety Alliance in May and September last year, Mr Ashton said he was not aware of the complaint and that his office receives a “high volume” of mail.

When Victoria Police received complaints about Mr Guerin and how they actioned those complaints are expected to form part of the anti-corruption investigation.

Mr Ashton said he had asked his staff to prepare a “timeline” of information received by his office.

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“I wouldn’t have personally seen it (email complaints) no, just because of the volume of material that I get ... and just the general work that I do,” he said.

“My officers assess them and they bring to my attention the ones that they feel they need to bring to my attention.”

Mr Ashton said he did not feel his staff had mishandled the complaints or failed to follow process.

“I’ve got great staff ... and they work damn hard,” he said.

Mr Ashton said he was confident in the current system for investigating police integrity.

The referral to IBAC and the resignation of Mr Guerin should reassure the community that the force was acting swiftly to address the behaviour, he said.

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VICTORIA Police is going into damage control as it deals with the fallout from Mr Guerin’s racist comments.

Senior officers have scheduled talks with multicultural community groups today.

African leaders, who have been working with the force to tackle community issues including youth crime, said Mr Guerin’s behaviour was hurtful and damaging.

“The comments made by the high ranking Assistant Police Commissioner Brett Guerin were hurtful and damaging to the community,” said Ahmed Hassan, who is part of the African-Australian taskforce to tackle youth crime.

“We are very disappointed with the comments made by Brett Guerin.

“The Victoria Police is an institution that represents law enforcement, without bias in the state of Victoria.

“We expect better representation from our law enforcement agencies.”

GUERIN: ‘I HAVE HUMILIATED MYSELF’

MR GUERIN directed crude posts at The Community Advocacy Alliance (CAA), which is run by retired Chief Commissioner Kelvin Glare.

Shocking comments posted via the Facebook account criticised the retired Chief Commissioner for his views and stated when he was in charge, “Ronald Reagan was President of the United States”.

Mr Guerin made the comments on a website in 2016, using the alias “Vernon Demerest”, a character from the 1970 film Airport.

The account also accused Mr Glare of making comments about a female colleague’s breasts.

The CAA complained about the Facebook account and the matter was then referred to IBAC for investigation.

Mr Guerin described his comments as “not nice. Crude, inappropriate”.

“It was wrong and I am very embarrassed by it,” he said.

“I have humiliated myself by doing that.”

The posts, under a fake name, said Chief Commissioner Kelvin Glare was out of date, likening him to former US president Ronald Reagan. Picture: Mike Sargent

Mr Glare said the state’s top corruption cop had no choice but to resign.

“That’s the only thing he could do,” Mr Glare said.

“His position was completely untenable.”

Mr Glare said he was surprised to see such behaviour from someone at a level of seniority.

“I couldn’t see how he could survive,” Mr Glare added.

Mr Ashton last week directed Mr Guerin to step aside while the IBAC investigation took place.

“Whilst the matter is being assessed, the Chief Commissioner has directed AC Guerin to step aside from his role as the Assistant Commissioner for Professional Standards and take leave,” Victoria Police spokesman Natalie Webster said on Friday.

In a statement released last night, Victoria Police acknowledged Mr Guerin’s 40 year history with the force.