Officer in charge of Aisling case led hunt for Cina Ma

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Just 15 months ago, the man heading the hunt for Aisling Symes successfully oversaw the return of another abducted child.

Inspector Gary Davey, 41, was acting area commander for North Shore when Cina Ma, 5, was reunited with her parents after five days, having been snatched from outside her Rothesay Bay home. At the time Mr Davey called the case unprecedented and said "thankfully incidents of abduction are rare in New Zealand".

Now the father of two is facing the sixth day of two-year-old Aisling's mystery disappearance with no sign of a breakthrough.

The senior officer would be experiencing "a level of anxiety" the longer the case remains unresolved, said retired Detective Inspector Ian Holyoake, who headed the inquiry into the disappearance of 14-year-old Kirsa Jensen in Napier in 1983.

Mr Davey's former boss and retired area commander George Wood said the investigation would be taking its toll.

"This would be one of the most emotionally charged kind of cases you can get. You would be completely drained at the end of the day."

With 20 years in the force behind him, Mr Davey landed the job of area commander for neighbouring Waitemata in May, ahead of 15 other applicants from around the country. He leads 240 sworn police staff and 22 non-sworn civilian police employees.

Mr Davey knows his area well. He is a native Westie – born in Waitakere Hospital and attended Massey primary and high schools.

After leaving school, he completed a mechanics apprenticeship at a Caltex station in Massey but said he realised he needed more in his life.

He served as a uniformed cop for three years before becoming a detective.

"I originally joined the police for the thrill of the job. The excitement of catching burglars and driving police cars," he said when he was appointed commander.

But a family violence case changed his perspective on policing.

"It wasn't until I saw the growth of that family that I realised I could make a difference in people's lives. From that point on the motivation moved away from the excitement of policing towards doing my best to make an impact on the community."

Alongside the Cina Ma case, which ended with a 26-year-old man being jailed for nine years for kidnapping, Mr Davey has served on the homicides of Dean Fuller-Sandys and Leah Stephens.

Mr Wood said Mr Davey "is a new image, new breed of officer that is very professional.

"He's quiet, unassuming but he does have an authoritative way with him ... People who work with him hold him in high regard."

DAY BY DAY

Monday: Aisling Symes, 2, is out of sight of mum Angela for five minutes. She was last seen at 5.30pm with an Asian woman. Police begin a search.

Tuesday: Fears grow with Aisling believed to have spent the night in the open during a storm. About 100 searchers trawl nearby waterways.

Wednesday: Police make first acknowledgement they now believe it is a case of abduction. But the search of water and properties continues.Thursday: Alan and Angela Symes make an emotional appeal to the suspected abductor.

Friday: Police make another appeal, asking the abductor to take Aisling to a hospital.

- © Fairfax NZ News