Victoria Police sergeant Bruno Staffieri pleads for job back after ‘offensive’ comments

A veteran cop dismissed for making racist and homophobic comments online is pleading for his job back — with his police mates labelling the ordeal a “witch-hunt”.

Sergeant Bruno Staffieri has been backed by his police mates who say his dismissal was unfair. Picture: Facebook

A veteran cop who posted “racist” and “homophobic” comments online has been backed by his police mates who say his dismissal was a “witch-hunt” by Victoria Police.

Sergeant Bruno Staffieri was booted from his job earlier this year after posting a series of “offensive” comments online to express his views about Victoria Police and the LGBTQI community.

Mr Staffieri begged to return to the force at a Police Registration and Services Board dismissal hearing on Friday flanked by five former and current police officers, his partner and a priest.

The 62-year-old, who argued he was expressing his Christian beliefs, repeatedly told the board he “didn’t mean to offend anyone” and that he “won’t do it again”.

The veteran cop posted a series of offensive comments online about the LGBTQI community. Picture: LinkedIn

In comments on a Victoria Police LinkedIn post supporting LGBT community members for “WearItPurpleDay” in 2021, Mr Staffieri wrote: “I do not bully or tease or harass these people. I just don’t agree with what they do as it disgusts and repulses me … I hate having it shoved in my face.”

In another comment, on a Daily Mail article about an aboriginal woman who was refused a taxi in Cairns in 2022, the cop wrote: “You people cause your own problems (not all of you). Don’t blame the whitefella.”

Mr Staffieri had also had a dispute with Deputy Commissioner Neil Paterson, the state’s second-highest ranking officer, after he questioned why Victoria Police was only recognised as a “silver” employer at the 2021 Australian LGBTQ+ inclusion awards.

“Great achievement. But if the public knew how much time, effort and taxpayer dollars went into this, they would also be demanding why we didn’t get a gold,” he wrote on Mr Paterson’s post on online police forum, Yammer.

The board heard that a string of comments between the two were then deleted by Mr Paterson after he suggested Mr Staffieri find another job.

The cop was slammed by PRSB president Andrea Lester who listed many of “the 68 rationalisations” Mr Staffieri had given for his “offensive” comments during numerous interviews.

“You were joking … it’s a different police force now … people didn’t make complaints” she said.

But Mr Staffieri’s police buddies said his dismissal was “completely unfair”.

One former colleague and friend, who wished not to be named, said Mr Staffieri was a “victim of evolution”.

“This whole thing is a witch-hunt,” he told the Herald Sun.

“Bruno had a dignified career” and has “always stood up for what’s right”, he said.

“Thirty-seven years of service speaks for itself.”

Another former colleague and ex-detective sergeant accused Victoria Police of “testing the boundaries of freedom of speech”, calling his friend’s posts “colourful”.

“This is a character assassination,” he said.

Inspector Michala Maskell, representing Victoria Police, argued Mr Staffieri should not be reinstated.

She said his behaviour was “absolutely appalling” and had hurt both Victoria Police and the wider community.

“They were simply, hurtful, mean and harmful … (and) not in line with the community of today,” she said.

In referring to his letter of apology to the force, she labelled him “self serving” and said she had “no faith that training in the future will work”.

A copy of a Fair Work complaint submitted by Mr Staffieri following his dismissal will be handed to the board before it hands down its decision.