|
Model policeman’s double life |
|
2nd June 2002
As Mark Richards climbed police ranks, his alter ego IcuffYou was active on international gay websites and hinted at drug use. By David Fisher It is a career that would make any police officer proud. But senior sergeant Mark Richards has had extra cause for pride with every step up the career ladder. As an openly gay man in a senior role, he was an inspiration to other gay men and women seeking a career in the force. But retired senior police say his internet activities endanger the law enforcement career he started in 1984, when he joined the Ministry of Transport. Richards transferred to the police when it merged with traffic in 1992 and as his promotion to sergeant was approved, he began a flirtation with the interned As a gay man in the police, moves by then Police Commissioner John Jamieson and Police Minister John Banks in 1993 to keep gays out of the force felt like a personal attack. "When the commissioner and the minister were worried that they were going to have police officers dressing up in drag, that you couldn't have an out gay male police officer searching another man because they'd be touching them up ... they were forgetting that we're all professionals," he told website gaynz.com in an interview. "The last thing on my mind when I'm arresting someone is bonking them!" When Banks and Jamieson were defeated, Richards stayed as far as work was concerned in the closet. "It's my view that what I do in my personal life and what I do in my work life are two different and separate things.” "The only thing about me being gay is who I choose to have sexual and/or emotional relationships with. It doesn't affect my ability to be a police officer.'' Richards rose through the ranks and in January 1994 was appointed to a general duties sergeant's role at Auckland Central Police Station. In September 1995, he transferred to the police college in Wellington as a computer instructor and eight months later began work as a recruit instructor, training in all aspects of policing. But he also lost the option of a private life when he put up an internet homepage which told his life story, mentioned he was a policeman and featured photographs of his current boyfriend. It was printed, discussed at a police conference and passed to newspapers. Richards received a stern telling off not for being gay but for the image of himself in uniform. Assistant commissioner Brian Daw from Police headquarters human resources said: "Including reference to his employment was an error of judgement on the officer's part and he regrets using photographs of himself in uniform." Richards found being openly gay in the force was still difficult. "There were people at work I thought were friends who suddenly would just do what they had to do with me professionally and nothing more. Some would get up and walk out of the meal room when I walked in.” "But the majority of people were really supportive because they looked at my ability to do the job . . . they knew I was good at what I did." He returned to Auckland in 1997, first as a sergeant at Otahuhu, then as a sectional sergeant in Counties Manukau. He spent five months in 2000 in charge of Howick police before a promotion to senior sergeant and the job running the Mangere station. In June 2001, he was promoted to acting inspector and sent to help Papua New Guinea train police for six months. As an out officer, he was also able to encourage police to recruit at the Big Gay Out. While working on the stand with other gay or gay friendly officers, Richards was congratulated by Prime Minister Helen Clark. "I'm proud to be an out gay policeman in the police community and also proud to be a policeman in the gay community.” "The job actually has no bearing on my sexuality and my sexuality has no bearing on the job." But despite his expertise with computers, he left a trail across the internet linking his job as Mangere area controller to his private life. Basic computer skills connect Richards to the pseudonym ICuffYou on British gay dating site gaydar.co.uk. Richards was a regular correspondent to the gay news group nz.soc.queer. In recent years, he has used Mark P Richards as his internet name, with a personal email address. But he had switched to using his real name in February 1999 "after the odd jibbing from some friends about my alter ego ICuffYou". A search in news groups under ICuffYou shows postings using a Hotmail address with his nickname to nz.soc.queer and alt.personals.bondage.gay. In one of the postings in 1999, ICuffYou wrote "Kiwi Master in Auckland New Zealand seeks slaveboys", using the nickname "Handcuffing Top". In bondage circles, a "top" is someone who takes the dominant role. Searching the internet using the ICuffYou alter ego shows listings on three sites gaypersonals.co.nz, pigpages.com and gaydar.co.uk. Each of the sites carries explicit reference to his preferences and in two cases state he is a New Zealand cop. On gaydar.co.uk, Richards refers to using "amyl" a drug restricted under the Medicines Act 1981 and offers an ambiguous "rather not say" to a question about drug use. A reporter registered on the site and contacted Richards posing as a potential sex partner. Richards asked what the reporter was looking for, adding: "You sound like fun and have a good.profile." Two emails later, Richards was discussing his job. "I work at Mangere so have just spent the last 11 hours at the robbery/shooting/homicide in my patch so it's been a long day." In the next email exchange, he is asked: does it cause a problem you being in the police? I've done a lot of clubbing in London and enjoy the.lifestyle that goes with it and, enjoy it when that lifestyle goes between the sheets. Or am I not making sense?" He replied: "I can read between the lines and it is not necessarily a problem but total discretion is essential. And I take it you refer to letter 5 of the alphabet?” "If so, it's definitely not a problem with me if you can read between the lines!" In another email he said: "We're lucky at present in that there is no random testing. Enough said. But yes; I like to play too." Richards extended his internet trail when he began using an email ending with @gaydar.co.uk, moved on to using an @xtra.co.nz account and finally his personal work email ending @police.govt.nz. The Star-Times confirmed Richards was the author by arranging through email to meet him. When he arrived for the meeting at a restaurant on Auckland's Karangahape Rd. he acknowledged he wrote the emails. When contacted on Friday, he accused the reporter of being an "agent provocateur". He said he would take legal advice and denied he had ever taken drugs. Asked what the effect on his job would be if he had taken drugs, he said: "It would cost me it." In reference to the photographs and comments made on the dating site, he said: “I’m not going to discuss it.”
|