Victorian police officers have allegedly falsely identified as non-binary to claim an additional clothing allowance. Image credit: Julian Meehan via Flickr
Victorian Police are investigating allegations that their own police officers have falsely identified as non-binary to claim an additional clothing allowance.
Several officers from the Frankston police station in south Melbourne have been interviewed in relation to the alleged scheme.
It is believed that a search warrant was also carried out as part of the investigation.
These allegations were first made public on social media in June.
At the time, there were unconfirmed reports posted online that majority of a Melbourne crime investigation unit had changed their profile in the HR system to be “gender neutral”.
Under the civilian clothing scheme, female and non-binary officers in Victoria can claim $1,300 more than their male colleagues.
It is believed that these male officers falsely registered as non-binary to fraudulently claim more clothing expenses.
In July, Chief Commissioner Shane Patton confirmed that an investigation had begun after there was a significant increase in the number of officers self-describing as non-binary over the past year.
In an internal statement, Patton said that “conduct of this sort, if validated, is not acceptable and falls far short of the standards I expect from Victoria Police members and standards of behaviour outlined in our code of conduct and Victoria Police values”.
There are now reports that up to 20 to 30 employees are allegedly involved.
“This behaviour has had a significant impact on our gender diverse employees and our reputation among the Victorian LGBTIQ+ community,” Patton stated.
“If validated, I will find it very disappointing that those employees have engaged in such conduct, exploiting an entitlement for those who identify as gender diverse.”
Officers who intend to identify as non-binary must now make a sworn statement if they wish to claim a civilian clothing allowance.
Earlier this year, Commissioner Patton made it clear that Victoria Police employees are not above the law and insisted that officers will be dismissed for misconduct.
