Police Commissioner phones man

Police Commissioner Peter Marshall. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Police Commissioner Peter Marshall - whose department is under fire for its handling of the Roast Busters affair - today personally phoned a man who has been publicly criticising the police over the matter.

The man - who comments on Russell Brown's Public Address blogsite under the username Kracklite - has over the last week criticised the police as an "organised pack" of misogynists with a "very sick culture" who had destroyed the public's trust in them.

This afternoon, after criticising Mr Marshall's performance when he was interviewed on television's Q+A earlier today, he posted that Mr Marshall had just phoned him directly.

"I hung up immediately when he identified himself," the man posted.

"Maybe he had naive honourable motives... but if that were the case, it's too little, too late. I find it personally disturbing that he can find out who I am and where I am. It's intimidating. They're definitely watching you. This is really scary."

A police spokeswoman confirmed Mr Marshall had called an individual today and the conversation ended when that person hung up on him.

However the spokeswoman said the call was not in response to comments made on Public Address.

Mr Marshall called the person because they had lodged a complaint via the police website on Thursday in relation to police behaviour at Police National Headquarters. The person had provided their full name, address and phone number, the spokeswoman said.

"The Police Commissioner and other executive members are provided with copies of relevant expressions of praise or complaints and the Commissioner often personally follows up the matters raised with individuals, if they have supplied their contact details", the spokeswoman said.

She said the commissioner was working today.

"Given the serious allegations in this particular complaint, the Commissioner phoned the individual, using the contact information they had supplied, in order to discuss the matter further. The Commissioner only got as far as identifying himself before the individual hung up, saying he did not want to speak to him further."