WA Police Commissioner’s warning after officer donned patch with expletive

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“FOLD C***S” was emblazoned on the police vest of Constable Lachlan Costello during the arrest of a child in Geraldton, north of Perth, in September 2024, footage obtained by the…

“FOLD C***S” was emblazoned on the police vest of Constable Lachlan Costello during the arrest of a child in Geraldton, north of Perth, in September 2024, footage obtained by the ABC showed.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the phrase went against police policy and Costello had been sanctioned following an investigation.

Costello was “held at rank” but Blanch would not expand on exactly what disciplinary action had been taken. He remains a serving officer.

Costello was also disciplined for turning off his body-worn camera and is on an “extremely short leash”.

“My suggestion to that officer and any other officer that thinks that they’re going to do things like that, if that’s on your record and you step out of line once, you probably won’t have a job after that.”

A sergeant was also sanctioned for not removing the contsable’s patch earlier, and the matter is now considered “concluded”.

Blanch said he “put a lot of pressure” on WA Police to solve crimes fast, but that “never extends to doing the wrong thing”.

“Even if a young person has committed one or two hundred crimes, that doesn’t mean you bypass the rules and the required professionalism I expect of my police officers,” he said.

The commissioner rejected claims from the Aboriginal Legal Service that officers frequently turn off body-worn cameras.

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