A veteran Queensland police officer has quit after issuing a scathing letter and condemning the racism within the organisation as worse than when he joined 26 years ago.
Sergeant Richard Monaei joined the Queensland Police Service (QPS) as an 18-year-old and has served in two of the state's high-capability teams, including SERT (Special Emergency Response Team).
But after more than two decades protecting the community, the proud Meriam, Kaurareg and Gudang man said the negativity and toxicity in the QPS and the racism he said he has experienced and witnessed have broken him.
He will leave the job, which he dreamed of as a teenager, at the end of October saying he "no longer feels safe within my own organisation — an organisation that I loved".
Sergeant Monaei handed in his resignation last month, along with a frank letter to Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll, detailing his experiences.
That letter has been presented to the Commission of Inquiry into Queensland Police Responses to Domestic Violence, which was expanded to include incidences of racism.
Childhood dream to be a cop
Growing up in regional north Queensland, Richard Monaei dreamed of joining the police after watching the US television show CHiPs.
"I've never really wanted to be anything else," Sergeant Monaei said.
"I think it was one of my earliest Christmases, my parents bought me one of the CHiPs motorbikes … and that pretty much stuck."
That dream was still with him when, freshly out of high school, the 17-year-old was standing in line at Townsville's Commonwealth Employment Service and saw an ad for a bridging course for aspiring police officers.
The only problem was the course had begun that morning in Innisfail, about 260 kilometres away. Undeterred, he made a phone call and got on a bus.
"The coordinator … basically said to me that if I was able to make it up the next day, then he would accept me on the course even though I'd be a day late, and I think he fell off his chair when he saw me there the next morning," Sergeant Monaei said.
Putting on the blue uniform however was not without conflict for the teenager who had grown up aware of the long history of animosity, violence, and distrust between First Nations communities and police.
"The pushback was there, not only from family, but extended families," Sergeant Mondaei said.
"But they were also supportive … it's the only thing I've ever wanted to do."
Racist discrimination from day one
Sergeant Monaei said his earliest encounter with racism in the QPS came during his first days as a trainee.
He recalled his training officer would barely speak to him and he was told he was not allowed to drive a police vehicle, even though he could see other recruits were.
The jobs he was given were unpleasant but he figured this was just the lot of first-year officers who probably needed a bit of toughening up, until six months later when he was pulled aside by a training coordinator.
"That sergeant said to me, 'Are you going OK? I've heard that there have been some terrible things happening to you involving your field training officer'."
Sergeant Monaei said that was the moment he realised he was being singled out because he was black.
"At 18 years of age, not having any life experiences or any employment experiences, I accepted this as a standard norm as part of an initiation process," he said.
Over the years, Sergeant Monaei said he repeatedly experienced and witnessed racism from both individuals and within the operation of the police service itself.
Don't mention the R word
Sergeant Monaei said in 2020, he and a group of First Nations police officers were invited to meet with Commissioner Carroll and her three deputy commissioners to speak about their lived experiences of racism, with the expectation something would be done to address the issue in the organisation.
It was his first opportunity to speak about what he had been experiencing throughout his career, and he grabbed it with both hands.
"I have always been fearful of raising the issue of racism, I would never express the word 'racism'," he said.
Sergeant Monaei and his fellow First Nations officers laid it out plainly for the police leadership group. Racism existed in the police service and it was a real problem. They left the meeting hopeful change was coming.
Instead, not long after, Commissioner Carroll addressed a press conference following the death in custody of an Indigenous woman and declared the QPS was "in no way racist".
"It was ... a kick in the guts," Sergeant Monaei said.
"What was the point of actually coming forward and speaking about some of the instances of my actual lived trauma, and my experiences within the Queensland Police Service? To then have her say that, those comments … to shut my voice back down again, and be locked away in the box."
Earlier this month, under cross examination in the Commission of Inquiry, Commissioner Carroll eventually conceded: "I know and did know we had racist people in the organisation".
No place for racism
Sergeant Monaei said he wanted the QPS to embark on top-down reform of its attitudes towards First Nations people.
That included developing a First Nations Reconciliation Action Plan. Currently the service has a Cultural Capability Action Plan, which references the State Government's Reconciliation Action Plan, but not a specific one of its own.
He said there also needed to be a specific independent inquiry into racism within the QPS, following on from the Commission of Inquiry.
"If we cannot get it right internally, how can we get it right externally with our First Nations communities?" he said.
Asked to respond to Sergeant Monaei's comments, Police Minister Mark Ryan issued a statement saying he had made it clear there was no place in any workplace for sexist or racist behaviour.
"Persons who feel they have been treated inappropriately should feel confident that they can report that behaviour without ramifications," the statement said.
"The Commission of Inquiry has received a number of submissions relating to unacceptable behaviour and the government looks forward to receiving recommendations."
Police work to improve
A statement from a police spokesperson said the QPS acknowledged the issues raised in the Commission of Inquiry and was actively working to improve.
The service had established a professional assistance team to work with members "who may be feeling distressed by the matters identified" during the Commission of Inquiry.
The spokesperson said the police service had processes to recruit and support First Nations members, including the First Nations and Multicultural Affairs Unit, established in 2020, and a First Nations Senior Recruiting Officer.
The spokesperson said the service was also working to develop "cultural intelligence training" for recruits.
"The QPS is working with partner agencies and community progressing a broad range of initiatives including 'Path to Treaty', the 'National Agreement in Closing the Gap', 'Justice Policy Partnerships' as well as influencing systemic change resulting from the 'Culture and Reconciliation Moving Ahead Strategy'."
