Sacked ‘troll’ cop Bruno Staffieri loses bid to return to Victoria Police

A veteran cop who was fired for making “offensive” comments on social media and damaging the reputation of Victoria Police has lost his bid to reverse the decision.

A veteran police officer who was sacked for using “offensive, discriminatory, homophobic, transphobic or racist” language in the final months of his 37-year career has failed in his bid to return to the force.

The Police Registration and Services Board on Friday upheld the dismissal of former sergeant Bruno Stafferi, finding his “pattern and chain” of offensive comments on social media justified top brass’s decision to sack him.

The board found Mr Stafferi — a self-described conservative Catholic — was an online “troll”, similar to disgraced former assistant commissioner Brett Guerin.

The board said Mr Staffieri continued to make offensive comments online, even after being warned against doing so, “all the while playing a game with investigators of repeatedly claiming not to comprehend the impropriety of his comments”.

The board labelled Mr Staffieri “self righteous” for claiming to have been “cancelled” after he was ordered to delete comments he made on an internal Victoria Police social media platform in 2021.

Mr Staffieri’s comments criticised the government’s decision to cancel that year’s Anzac Day and Australia Day Celebrations, while allowing the St Kilda Pride Festival to go ahead.

“Next time Australians are set (sic) out to fight a war, maybe we can send out the 8,0000 that marched today … to try and stop the enemy by waving feathers and brightly coloured boas at them,” he wrote.

Mr Staffieri later commented on Victoria Police lighting up it’s training academy in rainbow coloured lights by saying: “Wow … I have never seen anything so beautiful in my whole life”.

Sergeant Bruno Staffieri was booted from his job earlier this year after posting a series of “offensive” comments online to express his views . Source: Facebook

Bruno Staffieri, a veteran cop who posted a series of offensive comments online, has failed in his appeal against his sacking. Picture: Facebook

“On any objective view, (Mr Staffieri’s) conduct was seriously offensive and inappropriate,” the board said in its reasons for decision.

“ (Mr Staffieri) openly mocks LGBTQI+ people, as well as initiatives aimed at respect and inclusivity.

“He expressed ‘disgust’ and ‘being repulsed’ by homosexuality. He referred to ‘gay, non-binary teachers’ as pushing ‘filth’ onto children as a ‘disgraceful crime’.”

The board found comments Mr Staffieri made about am Aboriginal woman’s appearance were “racist and sexist trolling”.

Mr Staffieri’s racism also trickled into his conduct at work.

While on patrol at St Kilda in November 2020, he and other officers were heckled by a young man of African appearance, who said “I smell bacon”.

Mr Staffieri responded by saying, “Well I smell monkeys”.

The board said Mr Staffieri was “a highly probable risk of continued or even escalated homophobic, transphobic and racist comments, both online and in the workplace”.

The board said Mr Staffieri used social media as a “megaphone” for his repugnant views, and damaged the reputation of Victoria Police.

“ (Mr Staffieri) may seek sympathy as just a hardworking honest cop, who has made some mistakes and is worthy of a second chance (but) he was given numerous chances,” the board said.

“ (Mr Staffieri) may seek the support of others who share homophobic, transphobic or racist views and argue it is all just ‘political wokeness’ (but he) has no right to stand in the Victoria Police uniform or to … be an internet ‘troll’, or to express disrespect, disgust and revulsion for people who are his colleagues, and members of the community he is sworn to serve.

“If he wants to do those things, then he cannot remain a police officer. It’s as simple as that.”