NSW Police Culture Review Reveals Widespread Bullying, Mental Health Crisis Among Officers

The Hilton culture review, released Thursday after engaging over 5,000 current and former NSW Police staff through interviews, surveys and submissions, found systemic bullying, sexual harassment, and discrimination throughout the force, with one in three people reporting being bullied and every female participant having experienced or observed harassment. The report identified a persistent 'boys' club' culture, a lack of women in senior leadership — there are currently no women on the commissioner's executive team — and significant barriers to recruitment, promotion and development for women and minority groups. Officers described a disconnect between management and frontline staff, weak accountability, burnout, and a fear of speaking up, with many who raised concerns reporting they were 'punished' for doing so. The review also found that more than half of officers who left the force in 2023–24 did so for medical reasons, with psychological injuries the most common cause, and that a $78 million wellbeing investment had limited uptake due to fear of stigma. Commissioner Mal Lanyon accepted all 29 recommendations and called the personal accounts 'simply unacceptable,' while the state's police minister, Yasmin Catley, said the government was 'taking this very seriously.' Whistleblower former officers welcomed the findings as validating their experiences, though some, including former officer and Gomeroi man Steve Bartholomew, expressed disappointment that issues such as racial profiling and the treatment of Aboriginal officers and communities were not specifically addressed. While the review noted that rates of harm are trending downward — partly attributed to reforms introduced under former commissioner Karen Webb — it emphasised that meaningful change depends on consistent leadership and full implementation of its recommendations.