A WA Police officer displayed an obscene phrase on his uniform while arresting a teenager, body-worn camera footage obtained by the ABC has revealed, as he allegedly offered the boy bail in exchange for information.
WARNING: This story contains material which might be offensive to some readers.
The phrase "FOLD C**TS" was emblazoned on a patch worn by Constable Lachlan Costello while he was detaining a 16-year-old on suspicion of burglary in the Mid West WA city of Geraldton in September 2024.
Police say the phrase is a "common" term and the constable is "well-regarded by local youth".
Colloquially, "folding" can refer to hitting someone with enough force to make them collapse.
"Folding" can also refer to a controversial restraint used by youth detention officers in WA, which was banned in 2022 following a Four Corners investigation.
Camera switched off
Body-worn camera footage, obtained from police via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, shows Constable Costello handcuffing the teenager and seating him inside a car to question him.
About 90 seconds later, the officer turns off his camera.
Video from a different officer's body-worn camera shows Constable Costello later gesturing for his colleague to follow him around the corner to talk.
Still wearing the patch with the explicit language on his chest, Constable Costello tells the other officer: "He [the teenager] doesn't know anything."
But four seconds of the audio from the video released by WA Police has been muted.
In that missing audio, which is uncensored in a version seen by Aboriginal Legal Service WA (ALSWA) lawyers, the ABC understands Constable Costello admits offering the 16-year-old bail in exchange for information.
"I told [the teenager] if you tell us everything, we'll get you off bail. Off camera, obviously," Constable Costello says in the uncensored recording, according to the ALSWA.
The officer then appears to notice his colleague's bodycam recording, saying, "Oh your f**king …" before momentarily raising his hand to obscure the camera.
ALSWA director Peter Collins said there was "no good reason" for WA Police to censor the audio of Constable Costello's admission.
"Police should never be offering an inducement of being given bail in order to extract admissions from somebody," he said.
The arrested 16-year-old had $10,000 cash and cannabis in a bag, and later pleaded guilty to possession of unlawfully obtained property.
WA Police said its internal affairs unit investigated Constable Costello, who was "served a managerial notice" for wearing the patch, offering bail, questioning the teenager without notifying a responsible adult and breaching body-worn camera use policy.
Mr Collins said there should be no place for such conduct in the police force.
"Who knows what that managerial intervention actually constituted? I suspect it was a slap over the wrist, and nothing more," he said.
'Worst I've seen'
Mr Collins said the fact Constable Costello wore the explicit patch while making an arrest, and in the presence of other colleagues, was "despicable".
"It shows a callous disregard for the responsibilities entrusted in him as a sworn police officer," he said.
A similar explicit phrase was written on a wrist strap worn by rugby league player Kane Evans during a 2021 game. The NRL fined him $5,000.
Officer 'well-regarded'
Police said Constable Costello was actively engaged with the young local community through sport where the term was "common".
"He remains well regarded by local youth. While this context was considered, it does not excuse the conduct," a WA Police spokesperson said.
Mr Collins said any officers who were aware of the patch were complicit in the behaviour.
"He's there with his colleagues who would have seen it, and presumably senior officers at the police station at which he works would have also seen it," Mr Collins said.
WA Police said it was an "isolated incident".
"The patch was identified by a supervisor and the matter was addressed at the time," a spokesperson said.
"It was subsequently confirmed the patch had been removed before the officer attended his next incident."
Camera obstruction 'not a one-off'
Mr Collins said while the patch was "unprecedented", officers turning off or blocking their body-worn cameras occurred frequently.
He said other officers at the scene of the September 2024 arrest also appeared to intentionally obscure their cameras.
"There's no proper basis for any of this behaviour by the police on this occasion, and it's not a one-off," Mr Collins said.
WA Police said the "deliberate obstruction or inappropriate use of body-worn cameras" was not an accepted practice.
"Where concerns regarding the use of body-worn cameras are identified, they are investigated and dealt with appropriately," a spokesperson said.
