What the bloody hell is this madness???
Police officers surprised at appointment of former top cop to new role
Some police officers are shocked a former detective has been appointed to lead a major police project, just months after he quit the force.
Former Detective Superintendent Tom Fitzgerald, who was the country’s most senior investigator and headed the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB), created and oversaw a controversial interviewing technique, the Complex Investigation Phased Engagement Model (CIPEM).
Its use has been criticised, and was central to the collapse of charges against a man accused of murdering Upper Hutt woman Lois Tolley in 2016.
Fitzgerald, 58, retired in October, in a move that surprised many colleagues. He insisted he had planned his retirement for some time, and it had nothing to do with scrutiny of CIPEM, which has been the subject of a year-long investigation by Stuff.
Ok.
Ok.
Ok.
Look. Maybe I haven’t explained myself clearly here.
Let me just explain the enormous problems with this.
Detective Superintendent Tom Fitzgerald designed a controversial interrogation method called the Complex Investigation Phased Engagement Model (CIPEM).
It was used in the fiasco and deeply flawed Lois Tolley murder case which was thrown out of Court because so much evidence gained via this interrogation technique was completely illegal!
When Detective Superintendent Tom Fitzgerald interrogation model was criticised, he claimed it was the way the Detectives used the process that made the evidence inadmissible.
And that’s where it gets interesting.
Because Detective Superintendent Tom Fitzgerald was in another room advising the Detectives in real time as they attempted to manipulate the prisoner!
He can’t say his system was misused by stupid Detectives when he is watching and advising the entire interview in real time FFS!
The Detectives had a prisoner pulled up late at night outside visiting hours with MacDonalds and lied and manipulated answers out of the Prisoner that could concoct a Police prosecution!
This wasn’t good old fashioned gumshoe detective work piecing together facts to make a case, this was a naked attempt to manipulate prisoners into saying something that the Police could manufacture into a case!
After this was all exposed, Detective Superintendent Tom Fitzgerald suddenly resigned, but is now back as a consultant???
What the fuck???
After the explosion of wrongful prosecutions we have witnessed where Police are simply rounding up vulnerable people and bullying them into false confessions, how the fuck is Detective Superintendent Tom Fitzgerald allowed back to advise on the very thing he’s just failed spectacularly at???
The Lois Tolley whanau deserve justice for the hideous murder of their family member and instead they get abuses of process and outright manipulation of the case to cut corners and save money by simply tricking people into saying things.
Janet Wilson did a scathing review of how NZ refuses to police its own justice system.
If this is the kind of bullshit cops are pulling to simply stitch some vulnerable chump up, no wonder the Justice system never wants to open that can of worms.
The older I get, the more certain I am that as much as 20% of the current prison population is innocent and that should deeply concern all citizens.
What is even more concerning about Detective Superintendent Tom Fitzgerald is that he was instrumental in the case against Scott Watson.
The Police Minister needs two front on this issue and reassure New Zealanders that the Police are using interrogation methods that are designed to get the truth, and not designed to manufacture false confessions.
Because as it stands right now, it looks like the NZ Police are manipulating evidence out of vulnerable people.
That is untenable in a Democracy that respects civil rights.
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Rare is the day when the plods publicly criticise one of their own, even if he had nominally left, with his consultancy already jacked up–once a member of the filth always a member to some degree in my experience.
“Fox in the henhouse” and other comments from serving Police members illustrate this guy is not universally liked at all. What genius decided this was a good idea?
Mr Fitzgerald’s involvement in the Scott Watson stitch–up would be reason alone not to hire him, but the crackpot CIPEM should definitely have made him a no no.
And as I’ve said before. I got it wrong. I expected him to pop up in some other gig such as MBIE or MSD where the hierarchy are intent on building their own little compliance forces. No doubt that could still happen.
Currently the public’s faith in the Met is at an all time low. Watch the same thing happen here. It kind of makes you wonder whether there are people deliberately trying to undermine Coster.
OnceWasTim. “Undermine Coster “ ? Who has his own shiny black Mercedes moments travelling Wellington in a large bright orange SUV which Helmores Lane would ban on principle ? He’ll be fine.
Not that I’m worried about Coster’s welfare, but he’ll be fine until he isn’t.
As for Fitzgerald, he should have just gone gracefully, bought Himself a lifestyle block in the whops where he could entertain his allies, and perhaps a Mr Green franchise. Somewhere where it floods
OnceWasTim. He may be the best person for this particular consultancy, who knows, and copper called Pope was pretty much involved with the Scott Watson issues, and the Minister should not meddle with operational matters, but Fitzgerald should do ok with the massive consultancy fees which they all get now, and he should be able to buy a showy vulgarian vehicle if he’s that way inclined, have legs of lamb on week nights, the groceries delivered, and somebody to mow the lawns. Ah.
Power corrupts & absolute power corrupts absolutely I think is how the saying goes. While our individual police staff can be good people it is obvious that the organization is not up to standard as Martyn shows.
Hopefully by exposing what is happening changes will be made.
Well-named, The Fitzgerald Interrogation Process ensures the crime Fitzpatrick, FitzMichael, FitzWilliam, FitzScottWatson, Fitz……
Clearly, the only reason he resigned was that his boys had set up a nice cushy contracting gig for him.
It is their own business, I suppose. They are accountable to taxpayers but only in a general sense. The bulk of accountability is within the organisation of the Police Force itself. Don’t forget, officers pay tax, too.
Very interesting article Martyn.
Some police officers are shocked a former detective has been appointed to lead a major police project, just months after he quit the force.
Is he on contract at $1000 a day? – would be good financial sense and no crime.
We’re pretty much easy peasy here in good ol’ NZ.
Grey Warbler. Nah, much more than $1,000 a day, even with false credentials which I do not for a moment think that this homme has. But at least he’s one of ours and not another imported blondie fattened on pollies’ talkie talkies and doing jolly well at our profligate expense.
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