High profile Wellington Police District investigator Detective Inspector Rod Drew has been promoted to Detective Superintendent tasked with providing advice and assistance to commanders and senior investigators on serious crime issues in the Wellington, Eastern and Central Districts.
Detective Superintendent Drew has spent most of his 32-year police career in CIB roles, and has led many successful police operations including inquiries into the violent deaths of Wairarapa toddler Hinewaioriki Karaitiana-Matiaha, known as 'Lilybing' in July 2002 and six-year-old Coral Ellen Burrows in September 2003.
He was the Wairarapa Area Commander for seven years, from 1977 until 2003, and since then has been the field crime manager at Wellington District Headquarters.
Detective Superintendent Drew took up his new role several weeks ago, replacing Detective Superintendent Larry Reid who retired at the end of last year.
"I'm very excited to have been given this opportunity to share my investigative knowledge and experience," he says. "There is a troubleshooting aspect to the role but I'm focused on providing support and mentoring assistance when and where it's needed."
He's also the New Zealand Police advisor to the Management of Serious Crime course run at the Australian Federal Police Academy in Canberra, having participated as a student in the course two years ago.
Detective Superintendent Drew joined the police as a cadet in 1974 and has worked in Wellington, the Hawkes Bay, Office of the Commissioner and in the Wellington Police District.
He joined the CIB in 1977, qualifying as a detective two years later, and has been primarily in CIB roles since then apart from periods as a uniform inspector commanding a shift in Wellington City, and from 1997 to 2003 was the Wairarapa Area Commander.
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Released by Kaye Calder
Wellington Police District communications manager
Tel: 04 496 3464 or 0274 373 020