Graham Bell reflects on 10 years of Police Ten 7 and many "gutless goons"
We sit down for an exclusive chat with the inimitable
Graham Bell, host of Police Ten 7.
What is the thing you enjoy most about working on Police Ten
7?
Staying involved in criminal investigations and doing what I can
to help - while not being tied up with all the administrative
issues the police have to contend with. I enjoy having the
on-going contact with my old colleagues - although there are less
and less now that I actually worked with.
What was your most memorable case?
On PoliceTen 7: A series of rapes in
Invercargill where our viewers provided significant information
that helped with the arrest of an offender. But there are
many others of equal importance. Recently we used images from
the new taxi cameras which our viewers were able to quickly provide
a name from.
While a Police Officer: The murder of Beverly Bouma
at Reporoa. I was the officer in charge of the
investigation.
Do you think Police Ten 7 has had an impact on the public's
perception of the NZ Police force?
Yes I do- I think it has helped the public understand the police
and what they have to deal with. It has also helped with
police recruiting efforts.
How has Police Ten 7 helped to solve crimes?
We give the general public the opportunity to help - and they DO want to. People are genuinely concerned about crime and are keen to help.
Have you got any behind the scenes off-camera stories you'd
like to share?
Not really - what happens on tour stays on tour!!!
:-)
Do you watch any crime programmes on TV? What is your
favourite?
No I don't. I find them very frustrating. They
also create unreasonable expectations in society. People
think it is all whizzbang scientific genius that catches
criminals. It is not. It's knocking on doors and
talking to people that solves crime. DNA traces in real life
take weeks. On TV shows they get them instantly.
Had any memorable fan encounters?
Yes - a lot - I would describe them as 98% positive. People tell me that they like the programme and think we are doing a great job. Most comment that they enjoy my descriptive efforts when discussing crooks.
Watch some of Graham's best "descriptive efforts"
below!
