1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: So after virtually four years, the Tom Phillips saga came 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: to a conclusion yesterday in dramatic fashion. Phillips is dead, 3 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: a police officer remains in critical condition, but the children 4 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:10,400 Speaker 1: are safe, with the remaining two haven't been found. Late afternoon, 5 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: Richard Chambers, Police Commissioner, with us. Good morning, Good morning, Mike. 6 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: As we sit here this morning, the overarching approach of 7 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: the police in allowing this to go as long as 8 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: it did, your views are what. 9 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 2: Well, look, First of all, Mike, I am very very 10 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 2: relieved that we have safely recovered the children. Our goal 11 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:34,480 Speaker 2: was always to ensure their safe recovery. It was also 12 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 2: to ensure the safe arrest of mister Phillips. That played 13 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 2: out in a way yesterday morning that none of us 14 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 2: hoped would occur, but it did. Yes, it's taken a while, 15 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 2: and I know there'll be questions, but I've been brief 16 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 2: throughout this process. I know my staff have worked very 17 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 2: very hard for a very long time in very challenging circumstances, dances, 18 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 2: and you know, it'sbviously a lot of work to do 19 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 2: now in terms of putting the puzzle together, but I 20 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 2: know how hard they've worked and I'm just very very 21 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 2: relieved that the children have been recovered safetly. 22 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: I think we all are. Having said that, when you 23 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: talk about the questions, who's asking the questions? And are 24 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: you asking the questions of yourself? And is that an 25 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:18,640 Speaker 1: official process? 26 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 2: Absolutely it is, Mike, guess. Look, we ask questions of 27 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 2: ourselves all the time. Even I have been involved in 28 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,800 Speaker 2: that this year while I've been the commissioner. I've visited 29 00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 2: staff at their operation day. So I've visited staff out 30 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:33,960 Speaker 2: in the field and the bush late at night. You know, 31 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:36,839 Speaker 2: I've shown them my best support. And we've always asked 32 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 2: questions of ourselves. We challenge ourselves. We've spoken to other 33 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 2: law enforcement, we've spoken with private providers of capability. We've 34 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 2: done everything, and my staff have done a magnificent job, 35 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 2: very very challenging circumstances. 36 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: That sounds like, because I was going to ask, was 37 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: this a deliberate approach? In other words, were you worried 38 00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: that the children would be harmed therefore you didn't want 39 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: to bring it to a dramatic conclusion or your comments 40 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: previously indicate that perhaps you were looking but you simply 41 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: couldn't find them. 42 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 2: No, Look, we have always been very very concerned, Mike. 43 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: We knew that we were dealing with an armed, a 44 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 2: dangerous and a very motivated individual in mister Phillips, and 45 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 2: we had to be very very cautious about the approach 46 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 2: that we have taken. You know, that played out yesterday 47 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 2: morning in a way that we suspected it could, which 48 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 2: is not something that any of us wanted. But our 49 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: assessment of the situation over the last four years has 50 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 2: been spot on and that was shown yesterday morning when 51 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 2: we confronted mister Phillips. He shot one of my staff 52 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 2: and we had to return fire. And we have always 53 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 2: been concerned that that may be exactly what occurred, and 54 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 2: of course that may also involve the children. 55 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: When you found the camp and the two kids at 56 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 1: the camp last night, was it a place where you 57 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: thought it's no, we didn't find it, or was it 58 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: a place you thought, hell, we should have been here sooner. 59 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 2: Well, look, we are very confident that this is not 60 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 2: the location where they have spent a considerable amount of time. 61 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 2: We believe they have been moving around. The terrain in 62 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:16,959 Speaker 2: this area is challenging and they've been on the move 63 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 2: and they were deep in the bush about two kilometers 64 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:25,080 Speaker 2: away from where the shooting occurred yesterday morning, and we 65 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 2: also had information that there were further firearms at this 66 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 2: camp site. So again, yes, it took us a while 67 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 2: to ensure the safe fortaviy of the children yesterday, but 68 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 2: we had to take that approach because we knew that 69 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 2: there were firearms present and we could not we could 70 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 2: not risk anything plan out that might compromise the safety 71 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 2: of those children. All my staff. 72 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: Correct me if I've got this wrong, But the officer 73 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 1: going to the burglary was by himself. Back up was coming, 74 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: but in an area where you knew he probably was 75 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: and there would be a burglary or some sort of 76 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,680 Speaker 1: issue in the early hours of a morning. Why was 77 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: a singular police office are going to something like that? 78 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 2: Well, look, I was in Albourne yesterday. I got a 79 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:06,160 Speaker 2: phone call it one forty seven in the morning and 80 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 2: as soon as that happened, I jumped onto our police 81 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 2: system and I had a look at the number of 82 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 2: units that were in the area at the time. And yes, 83 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 2: that support was close by and that obviously played out 84 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:19,600 Speaker 2: yesterday morning, thank heavens, with the backup that was there 85 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 2: on the spot. So he was in a car police 86 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 2: on his own, but he was with his colleagues y 87 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 2: Saturday morning, so I'm confident that that support was what 88 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 2: I would want it to be. 89 00:04:30,480 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: Okay, how is he? 90 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 2: Look, he's spent most of yesterday and surgery. He's got 91 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 2: serious injuries to his head and his shoulder, and I'm 92 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 2: looking really forward to gain seeing him and his family 93 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 2: this morning. In the way. 94 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: The thing that's bugged me the whole time is this 95 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,280 Speaker 1: community thing whereby somehow this guy's a hero or he's 96 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 1: allowed to do what he wants to do, or I 97 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:55,039 Speaker 1: don't understand that. Do you deal with that? Is that 98 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: common in rural New Zealand? 99 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 2: You mean in respective mister Phillips. Yeah, he's not a hero. 100 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: No, I know that. I know that. But people defend him. 101 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: They still defend him to this day. 102 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 2: Oh oh sure. Look, look you know there's I'm sure 103 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 2: there are some in the community who may defend him. Look, 104 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 2: we just deal with the situation that we need to 105 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 2: in a way that the community and the public would 106 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 2: expect us to. And our priority has always been the 107 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 2: safer rest of mister Phillips and the safe recovery of 108 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 2: the children. I respective of what people's views may be, 109 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 2: whether that's himself or other people in the community, So 110 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 2: we just get on with the job. Very proud of 111 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 2: myselff who've done a remarkable job, and I'm just very. 112 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: Very relieved appreciate time Richard Chambers police commission him. 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