A police officer who clashed with his bosses over harassment allegations reached a confidential settlement days before the case was set to go to trial.
Former Victoria Police officer Matthew Cocks had been a career police officer and had risen through the ranks for more than 30 years.
That was before a series of unfortunate events put an end to his dream job.
His end centered on serious allegations of harassment against his superiors, and he is not the only one with concerns.
In a statement of claim filed in the County Court of Victoria and obtained by Daily Mail Australia, Victoria Police was accused of no fewer than 26 breaches of its duty of care constituting what was described as a “police tort”.
Among those complaints were allegations that his superiors forced him to work excessive hours and then filed complaints about his performance.
Mr Cocks, who had risen to the rank of detective sergeant, claimed he had been subjected to humiliation, harassment, ostracism and micromanagement by two senior officers.
The veteran officer also claimed that the force had not offered him any counselling and that complaints about his own mental health had been dismissed.
Victoria Police confirmed the matter had “reached a resolution” but declined to comment further.
Former Victoria Police Commissioner Kelvin Glare welcomes Matthew Cocks to the ranks in 1988
Cocks’ lawyer, Shalyn Mathew of Arnold Thomas & Becker, said the former officer’s allegations appeared to show the culture at Victoria Police was “quite rife” with harassment.
The firm is currently pursuing at least 20 cases against Victoria Police for psychological injuries caused by harassment and/or bullying at work.
“All of these allegations appear to demonstrate that the culture within Victoria Police is rife with this type of behaviour, particularly amongst senior staff,” he said.
“No one should feel victimised at work. We hope Victoria Police will look at its culture and processes and make real changes in this area.”
It was in the late 1980s when Mr Cocks, aged just 20, decided he wanted to serve the Victorian community and become a police officer.
But in 2019, he began to feel the effects of mounting pressure and dwindling support.
He took three months of sick leave, but when he returned, the force command refused to give him back his weapon and he was put on administrative duties for the next seven months.
“I thought I would take a mental health leave to clear my head, but they wouldn’t let me go back to work or manage a team when I got back,” he said.
“They were so concerned about my well-being that they put me in an office on the ground floor and no one came to see me.”
A young Matthew Cocks wanted nothing more than to protect and serve his community. But when it came time to protect himself, Victoria Police turned their backs on him, he said.
Mr Cocks told the Daily Mail Australia he believed his former employer was “still living in the 1970s” when it came to staff welfare.
“I’m happy to have closed this chapter with VicPol and feel that justice has been done,” he said.
“I can now move on with my life – I will focus on spending time with my wife and family and travelling around Australia in our van.”
While the exact details of the agreement must remain confidential, Ms. Mathew told the Daily Mail Australia that Mr Cocks was pleased with the outcome.
“We are pleased with the outcome of the settlement for Matt. It allows him to have closure and justice, which will help him move on from this experience,” he said.
The settlement follows a disturbing survey of emergency services personnel which found that 60 percent of those who experienced harassment at work said it was by a manager or supervisor.
The People Matters survey, released in May by the Victorian Public Sector Commission, found that just 12.8 per cent of staff said they were “satisfied” with the way their complaints were handled – the lowest level of any industry.
She also said that more than half of respondents said they did not report harassment to a superior because they believed “there would be negative consequences for my reputation.”
Victoria Police also refused to answer Daily Mail Australia’s questions about an alleged culture of bullying within the force.
Ms Mathew credited Mr Cocks’ experience. psychological injuries throughout his employment due to the consistent lack of support from Victoria Police as well as persistent harassing behaviour towards him.
“The ongoing bullying and harassment had a significant impact on Matthew’s mental health and as a result he was unable to continue working for Victoria Police,” she said.
