Audrey Fagan

Who was Audrey Fagan?

Audrey Ann Fagan APM 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, which included community policing responsibilities for Canberra and other parts of the ACT. She was awarded the Australian Police Medal in 2004.

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 in 1981, at age of 18.

On 20 April 2007, Fagan committed suicide while holidaying on Queensland's Hayman Island. She was found hanged. The Queensland Police investigated her death and concluded there were no suspicious circumstances.

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.