Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "Racist Redneck Pig (A Queensland Police Officer)" [1986] AboriginalLawB 13; (1986) 1(19) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 3

• Racist Redneck Pig!

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Racist Redneck Pig!

Sergeant Vern Timms is the officer in charge of police operations in Cairns. At fifty he does not like to pretend so he babbled to a journalist from People magazine about how the local Aboriginal people are to blame for him having to do work, as well as 90 per cent of street violence. But Sergeant Timms does not seem to like using the word Aboriginal, he prefers 'gin', 'coon', 'dingo' and 'black bastard'. They must be from the police training manual in Queensland.

Being the literate person he is, Sgt. Timms pieces together phrases such as the following:

When I started in Cairns in 1976 a lot of our Aboriginies-bless their little cotton-pickin’ socks - were still gainfully employed.
But when the Labor Party gained power, it was cheaper and much more lucrative for the boongs to give work away. Now, you tell me how many of the black bastards are employed?

and

I don't know if the Abos worked this system out, or whether it’s their natural instinct .. they're like dingoes!

and

as you well know, most black fellas look the same and are veryhard to identify - even in a line up..

Whether they’ve made admissions or not, they all plead not guilty - another burden on taxpayers. Of course, it keeps another legal aid solicitor in a job-and they don't come cheap!

and

You know, I'd like to build a fence around this whole place and say (to the Aborigines) 'Right, you bastards! Step through that fence and you're dead!'

Yes, it is a hard life when you are a cop. Hopefully, policeman Timms' life is going to get a lot harder after people realise what an absurd sick man he is to be in his position. The above quotations from the recent article in People, ‘Paradise or Parasites’, would normally mean the end of a career. Unfortunately in Queensland, the fellow may even become some sort of cult hero. This seems to be ratified by the reported support his comments received on a Cairns radio talkback programme.

On Friday, 4 April, nearly 100 Aborigines marched on Cairns police station to demand the sacking of Sgt. Timms. The official response bythe Queensland Police Commissioner, Sir Terence Lewis, has been to order a departmental inquiry into the circumstances of the interview.

The Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Mr Holding, has reportedly sent a telex to the Queensland Minister for Community Services. Mr Bob Kafer Jnr, asking for an investigation.

The Commonwealth Human Rights Commission will also conduct an investigation after receiving a complaint from the Cairns Aboriginal community.

Readers may contact the Human Rights Commission at:

GPO Box 629, Canberra, ACT 2601
Tel: [phone],

or the Police District Superintendent for Cairns;

Mr Les McCall
Cairns Police Station,
Cairns, Old. 4870.