Update: Around noon at a press conference in Dartmouth, Tom Martin doffed his metaphorical hat and threw it into the ring. His campaign slogan: Ask for more.
With a bit more than a year to go until next October’s city election, today might bring us the first officially declared challenger to current mayor Peter Kelly. The Herald is reporting that former police detective Tom Martin will announce that he’s running.
Coast readers will recognize Martin’s name from a pair of excellent cover stories, one from 2006, the other from 2009, both written by Stephen Kimber. “The last best hope” looks at what drives Martin to work on solving cases that everybody else has given up on, such as the William Shrubsall sexual assaults.
Discovering Shrubsall’s identity, however, was only the beginning of what turned into an all-consuming three-year investigation that would take Martin to Niagara Falls twice and also to Philadelphia, where Shrubsall went to university, interviewing and re-interviewing neighbours, ex-girlfriends and even the pawn shop owner to whom Shrubsall had sold his valedictory medal. Along the way, Martin filled 25 banker’s boxes worth of notes, statements, videos and other assorted evidence.
When it was over, Shrubsall had not only been convicted of assaulting and robbing Donnison and sexually assaulting three other Halifax women, but he’d also—thanks largely to Martin’s dogged detective work—been officially labelled a “dangerous offender” and sentenced to prison for an indefinite period.
Martin’s work on Shrubsall was only one of the reasons he was nominated by his fellow officers as top cop for 2001. That same year, he’d also helped make arrests in two murders, an attempted murder and a kidnapping.
The other feature, “Dead wrong,” focuses on the reasons behind Halifax’s high rate of unsolved murders. Kimber starts the story at the moment in 2005 when police brass—to Martin’s considerable distress—pulled the plug on efforts to get Jason MacCullough’s killer.
Tom Martin looked around the room. There was disbelief, anger. The other cops knew this was bullshit. Still, there was no point in confronting their staff sergeant. The message had come from two floors above, from deputy chief Chris McNeil, a man who’d never run a murder investigation.
We’re done here…
“You’re making a mistake.” Martin tried to keep his voice neutral. He knew he had a reputation for being one of management’s “biggest pains in the ass.” He preferred to see himself as a guy “who wasn’t afraid to piss off the bosses” in the interests of solving his case. Now, he stood just inside the door of McNeil’s office and tried to explain why the deputy chief shouldn’t do what he’d already done.
McNeil wasn’t listening. He just stared at his computer screen while Martin made the case for continuing the task force. McNeil didn’t look up. All he said was, “It’s done.”
The task force was disbanded. Two weeks later, Martin suffered his first heart attack. He was never able to return to work. In 2008, he officially retired from the force.
Martin ran councillor Sheila Fougere’s unsuccessful bid to unseat Kelly last election, so has some campaign experience to go with his obvious policing cred. “Fougere, who has known Martin since she was five years old, said her best advice is to buy a comfortable pair of shoes,” says the Herald. Anyone else who wants to challenge Kelly is advised to bring Martin-grade knowledge of the city, from gritty streets to thick bureaucracy.
Related Stories
The last best hope
Dead Wrong: Halifax’s unsolved murders
This article appears in Sep 15-21, 2011.
The Fougere campaign was abysmal. Too late out of the gate and not much energy.
This candidate needs all party support and should start his campaign in the rural areas with a meet and greet every few days where he just sits and listens to what voters say.
By next April Kelly may be scared enough to realise we want to dump him.
The Fougere campaign was unfocused, for certain, and failed to spend enough time on Bedford and other sub-urban areas of the city. They had the urbanites, but anyone who isn’t willing to challenge Peter on his turf isn’t going to have a hope in hell.
Forward thinking and vision won’t get you a single vote in backyardagins land. Trust me.
I fail to see how being a good murder investigator, in any way makes you a good candidate for Mayor.
But if it was a 3 way race between Pete, Sue , & Tom…I’d vote for Tom just because IMO its the best of a bad lot !
Let’s hope many join this race and create something the whole city can get behind. To do good public service you have to believe that the public is actually worth the service; I applaud those that do.
Tom Martin is a lot more than an ex-cop, he’s an actual leader – proven. Peter Kelly couldn’t lead a horse to water. We need this change and voting in someone who is not a career politician is the way to do it.
@mcgaidheal I don’t even know where to start with this. 1 – There is no Councillor named Sue Fougere; 2 – I am pretty sure what you are saying about Patrick Murphy could get you in trouble with the law; and 3) he is actually the complete opposite of what you are saying he PUT VIOLENT OFFENDERS IN JAIL. I talked to a reporter about him and word is he never lost a homicide case he took to court… you should read the link below this story: “The Last Best Hope” Tom Martin is a legendary cop obsessed with solving Halifax’s increasing number of unsolved murders…
I’m just hoping someone good comes along to replace my current councilor, never mind who the mayor is.
@mcgaidheal I notice that your last post was deleted. For the best I believe.
1 – you never actually said what they did other than an ad hominem attack which was an justified.
2 – Why does Mr. Murphy have to go to jail? You never said what he did. While I do believe there is a residual culture of “old boys club” or “sexism” (if you want to take it that far). You went to court? With Calder? With Murphy?
3 – Do you understand that he is the only person EVER to speak out against the HRP? Do you what type of balls that takes? Did you read the article? Do you know what that did to the man? He has to be one of the most ethical and morally strong people in the city – it would be great to have someone like that as mayor. Have you ever read anything about the man? He put killers in jail: read what he did about Shrubsall… you obviously have just not done your homework and it’s sad. If you want someone ethical someone who does the right thing, someone who works to clean up institutions – he’s done it all. He’s your candidate…
4 – Again, read his bio the idea that he is a one trick pony is absurd – he worked all throughout the HRP for 30 years and won all sorts of distinctions, he chose to walk the beat so he could make a difference, he was head of operations for a company with 1500 employees nationally, he has a farm, he has his own investigation business, he has a family, grand kids, he has taught Post Secondary education… he’s actually done more than most and would bring a fresh perspective and some Honor to the Office of the Mayor.
I took the time to research him, including calling his team (I got to talk to him directly… how is that for accessible?). I was going to volunteer for Savage if he ran. But no way now. Having talked to Martin, got his vision of the city and talked to people around him as to why they are there he has my vote, my support and I will be volunteering for him once the time comes around.
I, as a senior citizen DO believe in what Tom Martin is attempting to accomplish. I am becoming so tired of all of these criminals receiving “a slap on the wrist” and getting out of jail just in order to create the same offences once again —-and it seems that the majority of them DO! Also, some of them never DO experience incarceration due to that fact that our antiquated laws let these people avoid going to court due to various excuses!
i I am afraid to walk anywhere after dark for fear that I may be mugged! I am also so tired of this drug related gang war between the Melvins, and their oppnonents in Waverley area, the Marriotts. Innocent people are sometimes killed in the proccess That is not fair to your ordinary public! Yours, very sincerley, Eran Constable, Dartmouth
I have met Martin, and he truly does want whats best for the city (from development to crime). I am convinced that he would make a great mayor!