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Christchurch Star
January 15 2003.
Notable police career earns QSM
by Donna Birkett
Police officers could write a book about phone calls
in the middle of the night which change their lives for months on end, says
new Queens Service Medal recipient and ex-cop Brian Pearce.
The former CIB Detective Inspector was awarded his QSM in the New Year's
honours list.
His QSM citation stated, "He has been responsible for the conduct and
investigation of numerous homicides, many of complex, distasteful or bizarre
nature.
"He was highly commended for his 1993 inquiry into letter bombs mailed
to various police stations."
During 1998 and 1999, he worked with Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Clement
on an investigation into a police shooting in the Solomon Islands.
Last year he led the New Zealand
police and forensic party to overview the Solomon
Islands police investigation into the suspected
homicide of a New Zealand
diplomat.
Mr Pearce believes his QSM "reflects the loyalty and commitment of a
unique group of colleagues I've worked with over the years" and
certainly the support of wife Joy and his family who have had significant
periods of disruption to home routines over the years.
Other cases he has worked on included the Gloria Cong kidnap in Oamaru, the
Doug Gardner homicide, administration level work in the civic creche, the
Darryn Buckfleld homicide and several child killings.
Mr Pearce said criminal investigation has been "immensely challenging,
satisfying and rewarding" for him and the CIB is where he spent 25 of
his 27 policing years.
He hopes to have contributed something back to the community.
Policing was not a job but a vocation.
He said police officers could write a book about the phone calls they had
received in the middle of the night which sometimes changed their lives for
months pursuing an investigation.
High profile and ongoing cases were all consuming.
He added that those in charge could find themselves in lonely positions at
times.
Mr Pearce said he had no regrets about his career choices or outcomes of his
investigations yet there were sometimes disappointments from the judicial
process.
There was a huge amount of satisfaction from resolving any investigation,
small or large, he said.
The larger ones resulted from a skilled team's efforts.
Among the most significant advancements in his view had been the introduction
of the automated fingerprint identification system, the establishment of a
national fingerprint database and the introduction of the national DNA
database.
He believed forensic developments had been the icing on the cake of high
yield results from the police investigation structure.
Mr Pearce said the future of policing was still people-based involving hard
graft and communication.
He retired from the police in December and his plan is to have no plans for a
couple of months. Then he will pursue employment of some kind.
The former motor mechanic's interests include motor sport and classic cars,
and he has built a character sports car himself.
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