A young officer has raised eyebrows among police colleagues by becoming part of the ‘furry’ subculture and identifying as a cat outside of work.
The officer, believed to be in his late 20s, is based at an Adelaide station and other police officers became aware of their unconventional personal identities earlier this year.
The South Australian officer, who has not been named, enjoys being a ‘furry’ off-duty, he reported The advertiser.
‘Furries’ are a subculture of people who identify as animals and often dress up in costumes to adopt what they call their ‘fursonas’.
It is clear that the officer associates himself as a cat when in furry mode.
A young officer has caused a stir in the police force after it was revealed he ‘identifies as a cat’ outside of work
Sources revealed that the young officer’s lifestyle was causing a stir, but senior officers and bosses were unaware.
SA Police said the identity of this officer has not been released, but this does not detract from their ability to do the job.
“(SA Police) is committed to ensuring our workplace is inclusive and safe for all employees,” a SAPOL spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Individuals are given the opportunity at any time to indicate how they wish to be identified.
“(SA Police) are not aware of anyone identifying as a ‘furry’.”
According to the website Furscience, furries are usually teenagers and young adults, but some are in their 70s or 80s.
‘Furries’ are a subculture of people who identify as animals and often dress up in costumes as part of what they call their ‘fursonas’.
Sharon Roberts, associate professor and expert in the field, says that being part of the furry community is no different than being a football fan: a personal interest that brings like-minded people together.
“Depending on the research, we see that more than 70 percent of furries identify as LGBTQ+ and more than 25 percent are gender diverse,” Ms. Roberts shared. The conversation.
“Furries are almost twice as likely to be bullied as non-furries, and our upcoming research shows that four to 15 percent are on the autism spectrum.”
Daily Mail Australia has also contacted South Australian Police Minister Dan Cregan for comment.