Playing golf, he met the father of a woman who had been killed in a Frankton road accident about two years earlier.
"I said, ‘What happened in the end with the [coroner’s] inquest?’
"He said, ‘What’s an inquest?’"
Snr Const Blackford says he convinced his boss, John Fookes, to let him take the portfolio.
"I rang the parents up and went to see them on their farm — we let down that family terribly."
In his inquest role, he has befriended many overseas families who have lost family members in the Queenstown Lakes area.
He has even stayed with some of them while on holiday.
"Nobody should leave Queenstown without realising that nothing more could have been done for them by the police."
A self-confessed "old school" cop, Snr Const Blackford retired yesterday after 42 years in uniform — the last 34 in Queenstown — before turning 65 next week.
He wore up to 17 hats at a time, including inquests, firearms, diversions, iwi liaison and media.
For a time he was also the local police prosecutor, after colleague Sergeant Trevor Burton’s family tragedy.
By not becoming a sergeant himself, Snr Const Blackford was able to serve for about 12 years as community constable till being seconded to the airport two years ago.
Policing in Queenstown has been brilliant, he says.
"You can’t have a good police force without a good community — your police force reflects your community to a great extent.
"When you’re getting on-side with your community, you’re getting information from your community, your community are helping you solve crimes, resolve issues.
"In other areas, God forbid we should mention South Auckland, for instance, whilst the police there might work their hearts out ... they’ve got an uphill battle where probably a large number of the community absolutely detest the police no matter what the police do for them."
Snr Const Blackford, who also served 18 years on the local council, says he leaves the police with no regrets.
"Being a policeman in my day — because I do think it’s different today — was a brilliant job."
- Philip Chandler
