Audrey Fagan

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Audrey Fagan
In office
2005 – 2007
Preceded by John Davies APM OAM
Succeeded by Michael Phelan (police officer)
Born 1962
Ireland
Died 20 April 2007
Queensland, Australia

Audrey Fagan (1962 - 20 April 2007)[1] was an Australian police officer, from 2005 holding the rank of Assistant Commissioner and the title of Chief Police Officer for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), which included community policing responsibilities for Canberra and other parts of the ACT. She was awarded the Australian Police Medal in 2004[1].

Fagan was born in Ireland in 1962. She and her parents, Arthur and Jenny, emigrated to South Australia in 1971, when Audrey was nine. She joined the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in 1981, at age of 18.[1].

On April 20, 2007, Fagan committed suicide[2] while holidaying on Queensland's Hayman Island. She was found hanged.[3] The Queensland Police are investigating her death and have stated that they believe there were no suspicious circumstances, and that the possibility of suicide was being investigated.[4]

Assistant Commissioner Fagan was under scrutiny over the treatment of detainees in Canberra police cells after the ACT Ombudsman revealed details in February of a joint review to examine procedures in Canberra's watch house. It followed complaints made to the Ombudsman relating to the treatment of intoxicated detainees and those with a disability, failure to provide timely medical treatment and theft of property.

Two weeks before her death, Jack Waterford, the editor-at-large of The Canberra Times, wrote a highly critical editorial on the current management of the AFP, in which he opined that the ACT was "receiving a second-rate service at Rolls-Royce cost" and suggested that the ACT Policing "was a complacent and unaccountable organisation of no great competence which is wide open to and may have already been percolated by corruption",[5] allegations which were picked up by other ACT media outlets, including the ABC. AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty confirmed that Assistant Commissioner Fagan had felt under pressure as a result of the latest media attention and had sought professional support.[6]

Fagan was survived by her second husband Chris Rowell, and daughter Clair from her previous marriage to Andrew Phillips. [7]

A funeral with full police honours was held at St Christopher's Roman Catholic Cathedral, Canberra on April 27, 2007,[8] after which Fagan was interred at a private family ceremony.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Humphries, David. "She set sights on a caring, helping role", The Sydney Morning Herald, April 27, 2007.. 
  2. ^ "ACT police chief found dead", The Sydney Morning Herald, April 20 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-20. 
  3. ^ "ACT police chief found hanged on holiday island", The Sydney Morning Herald, April 22 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-22. 
  4. ^ "Top cop dead at luxury resort", The Daily Telegraph, April 20 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-21. 
  5. ^ "Media review was in place", The Canberra Times, April 21 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-22. 
  6. ^ "Fagan felt pressure of criticism, Keelty says Police chief was in counselling", The Canberra Times, April 21 2007. Retrieved on 2007-04-22. 
  7. ^ Dunkerley, Susanna. "'Awesome mum' solved all problems but her own", The Age, April 28, 2007.. Retrieved on 2007-04-28. 
  8. ^ Dodd, Mark. "Final salute to top officer and mum", The Australian, April 28, 2007..