Graham Bell
Former detective and television presenter Graham Bell, who died in Hospice Waikato, Hamilton, after a battle with cancer last week had close ties with the King Country.
Bell joined the police in 1968 and was based in Taumarunui early 1980s for about eight years as a detective sergeant before being promoted to detective senior sergeant.
He took over from Jock Black as Taumarunui’s detective and was described by locals in tributes last week as an old-style cop who called a spade a ‘bloody spade’. He also supported Taumarunui Athletic Rugby Club with fervour until his transfer in the early 1990s.
Bell investigated numerous high-profile crimes during his career including the 1999 murder of Mangakino constable, Murray Stretch.
He was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for his services to investigations and the New Zealand Police in 2001 and retired the same year.
However, from 2002 until 2014, Bell continued to serve – helping to catch crooks as the presenter of TVNZ’s Police Ten Seven. He became well known for his descriptions of suspects such as ‘gutless goons’, ‘ratbags’ and ‘mongrels’.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said Bell, who was 78, would be missed.
“When I was a young police officer and a fresh detective, Graham Bell was someone I certainly looked up to in terms of his passion for policing but also his drive to hold some of our worst offenders to account,” he said.
“He was a bit of a legend when it comes to policing in New Zealand and a real personality as well.”
Graham Bell
