Tensions at the Temuka police station were so bad they prompted two long-serving constables to quit and resulted in Employment Court grievances.
The claims were deemed so serious by the Employment Relations Authority it agreed to bypass its own investigation and move the cases directly to the Employment
Court.
Bruce Ramsay quit the force in 2003 after working as a police officer for 25 years, the last 16 as a constable at Temuka, in South Canterbury.
He left because of a combination of how complaints by him against a supervisor were dealt with, and a sexual harassment complaint that was made against him to the Police Complaints Authority.
The second case sent to the Employment Court concerned a female constable who worked at Temuka station for 9 1/2 years.
Christine Coy said she left the police because at Temuka she was subjected to a "campaign by her supervisor of intimidation, harassment, humiliation and abusive behaviour, which had the effect of undermining her position and disadvantaged her".
Ms Coy said she left the police because they failed to deal with issues raised by her in an appropriate or adequate manner.
The authority, Helen Doyle, said both complainants made serious allegations about their treatment while employed as constables at Temuka.
"There is, in my view, public interest in how such allegations were dealt with in the context of a small rural police station and the police general instructions."
She found that each case on its own would not merit a move directly to the Employment Court, but the cases together were appropriate for the court to investigate.
- NZPA
