“People pretend, ‘I’m a 15-year-old girl,’ yet they’re a 50-year-old male paedophile.”
Tech helping police catch offenders, but exacting an emotional toll
In the interview, Beard acknowledged the darker side of technology, with cheap spy cameras hidden in everyday objects like pencils and buttons now being used to film people without their knowledge.
He discussed a recent case, where Auckland man Micah Fala pleaded guilty to secretly filming 22 women and girls over a 10-year period.
“In that particular case, the individual - didn’t matter whether it was women or children - had the spy cameras operated in toilets and showers and things like that.”
But he also credited advances in technology with helping police secure more convictions.
“The work they can do in the technological world, and finding the images, and the trading of images and then identifying victims, and going to them and getting complaints and making a prosecution, it’s huge. We never used to have that, or do that.”
Investigators now ‘witnessing’ murders on screen
While surveillance and AI tools are aiding investigations, Beard spoke candidly about the emotional toll on police.
“When I first joined the CIB and we had a homicide, there was no CCTV or technology. We’d have a homicide and you would see the end result,” he said. “Nowadays… it’s on CCTV and so our staff are witnessing what actually happens. And in some of the cases it’s horrific.”
Beard said psychological resilience is now a key focus of police welfare, especially as young officers juggle traumatic cases with raising their families.
Beard, who conducted high-profile cases such as the murder of 21-year-old British packpacker Grace Millane, said he receives regular mental health counselling because of the nature of his work.
“I have to look after myself and so I need to make sure my warrant-of-fitness is up to standard and up to date.”
-RNZ
