Tom Phillips: Police say physical search in Marokopa not the focus of latest phase in investigation

Police were not physically searching for Tom Phillips and his three children in the latest phase of the missing persons investigation, police have revealed.

“Previous physical search efforts have not proved successful, as there is a vast area in which Tom and the children could potentially be,” an unattributed police statement said.

Phillips and his children have now been missing for more than two-and-a-half years.

Police released the statement this week in response to questions posed by the Waikato Herald, asking about the method and extent of search efforts made since the police announced an $80,000 reward on June 11.

“The focus of this latest phase of the investigation has not been on physical searching,” the statement said.

“The latest phase of the investigation has been about appealing to the community, including people that we believe are assisting Tom, and asking them to do the right thing and tell us what you know.

“Information reported to police during this latest phase will inform further enquiries and help narrow any potential search area.”

The statement said an initial search and rescue operation when Phillips and the children were first reported missing in September 2021 involved dozens of searchers working across a wide area around Marokopa for 12 days, but could not locate them.

“It is appropriate to continue to take a very careful approach to any direct action that could threaten the safety of the children, Tom, police staff, or members of the public,” the statement said.

“We’re unable to provide information about the investigative techniques or specialist search techniques being employed in this complex, ongoing investigation.”

Scenes from Marokopa taken late yesterday as the search for Tom Phillips continues. Photo / NZME

The statement said the investigation team would assess the new information received during the past fortnight to identify and follow-up reports “worthy of consideration”.

Since the reward was announced, the statement said, police staff from the wider Waikato District were deployed to Western Waikato.

“The redeployment was planned for and managed within existing staffing to minimise any impact on other policing functions across the District,” the statement said.

“We’re unable to provide specific numbers deployed, for operational reasons.”

After the announcement, at least four checkpoints were in place at intersections outside the Waikato township of Marokopa and a police command centre with multiple marked vehicles was set up at the local community centre. The police Eagle helicopter was also deployed to scan the area.

There was no visible police presence in Honikiwi on June 24, despite police previously including the area in its search updates. Photo / Maryana Garcia

The police presence in Marokopa was first scaled back on Friday, June 14 as part of an expansion into the surrounding areas.

But locals reported very low sightings of police in Ōtorohanga over the following weekend despite police reporting the town was a focus of the search.

This week, ahead of the reward offer’s expiry on Tuesday night, a Waikato Herald reporter who spent time in the Ōtorohanga, Honikiwi, Waitomo and Marokopa area today glimpsed one marked police vehicle in a span of six hours.

Acting Detective Inspector Andrew Saunders later said the search for Tom Phillips was being scaled back.

The police continue to urge anyone with credible, current information that could lead to the location and safe return of the Phillips children to please email the dedicated email address op.curly@police.govt.nz or contact Police on 105 or online at 105.police.govt.nz clicking ‘Update Report’ and referencing file number 211218/5611.

Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based multimedia reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.