Who are the men in black who selflessly put themselves in the line of fire? In Rules of Engagement, the first episode of the three part documentary series Line of Fire, we get our first glimpse behind the balaclava and delve into the covert and controversial world that is the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS). Discover the genesis of this elite squad in the 1960s, the vital lessons learnt the hard way, and explore the conflicting reactions to the first fatal shootings in the 1970s.
To shoot or not to shoot? As the 1980’s dawn in Collateral Damage, the second episode of the three part documentary series Line of Fire, the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) is under public scrutiny like never before. Accused of being trigger-happy after several high-profile fatal shootings, squad members feel the pressure of making life-and-death decisions in a split second. In a decade pockmarked with violent incidents, the worst would come at the beginning of the 1990’s, when a gunman went on a murderous rampage in a quiet seaside town.
What price are we willing to pay to keep safe? The personal toll of being in the line of fire is examined in Eye of the Storm, the third and final episode of Line of Fire. Focusing on the unpredictable and increasingly volatile crime of the 1990s and 2000s, this episode reveals the changing face of armed offending and the huge impact it has had on the operations of the Armed Offenders Squads (AOS). With frontline police now routinely carrying firearms and criminals presenting weapons with alarming regularity, what is the future of the highly-trained specialist AOS?
A look at how the police use a mixture of dedication, community support and detailed forensic work to solve the most serious of crimes, murder.
A look inside the cases that illustrate the leaps and bounds made by criminals over the years in New Zealand's fertile drug scene.
A unique look inside cases that pinpoint the depths detectives must go to get the results society needs when dealing with criminals that believe they are untouchable.
For the detectives, communication is always key – talking, listening, and asking questions… Telling Tales features cases that showcase the detectives’ communication skills. To be able to converse at every level of society – to strike a rapport with people and have them reveal things that they’ve never told anybody else. Because all too often, seemingly innocuous comments can add up to form a water tight case.
A case can hinge on the tiniest shards of evidence and a detective must have a keen eye for detail. Detectives have Attention to Detail (‘ATD’) drummed into them throughout their training. This episode highlights cases in which the sharp eyes of an investigator has spotted a single critical detail – along with those cases in which there’s been many thousands of pieces of evidence painstaking pieced-together to secure a conviction.
No case is cracked alone – the detectives must pull-together as a team to uncover the truth. Teamwork explores the ever-increasingly complexity of the team brought to bear on a big case. From the core team of detectives – each with a specific assignment – to the specialist teams within the police such as Profilers and Armed Offenders Squads, to the co-opting of the media into the team and ultimately, the public at large.