NZ Detectives Episode Rating Graph

The purpose of any investigation is to establish the truth. In many cases that can be quite problematic. Telling Tales explores one of the most fundamental skills a detective needs – the ability to communicate effectively on many levels. ‘To get a rapport with people – to have them tell you things that sometimes they’ve never told anybody else.’ Detective Senior Sergeant Tusha Penny When a handless corpse is found at Red Rocks in Wellington detectives are faced with an immense task. Detective Inspector Mike Arnerich heading the team remembers going to the scene ‘ There’s just a beach with a drag mark coming out of the beach and we had a special search group doing the search. And there’s about 10 of these guys on the ground, freezing cold southerly coming in, all suited up in protective cross-contamination clothing and they’re going through stone by stone every piece of pebble along these drag marks.

Attention To Detail explores the marrying of two separate but critical components in the detectives tool box. The attribute known collectively by detectives throughout the years as Attention To Detail (ATD) and the scientific advances that became known as DNA. With the advancements in DNA analysis, science could and would play an invaluable role in investigating serious crime. ATD is about practical precision in the investigative process. ‘I think that attention to every detail is probably one of the most critical attributes that you can have in a detective.’ Former Detective Superintendent Neville Stokes A case that brilliantly highlights the absolute burning need for attention to detail is brought to life by Former Detective Sergeant Colin Matthews who, with his team, were faced with one of the most horrific crime scenes in which a bomb delivered in a parcel killed a young mother and very nearly killed her friend.