Crowded Places Security Advisory Group update

Formation of the Crowded Places Security Advisory Group (CPSAG) is viewed as a positive step in recognising the contribution of the private security sector to public sector agencies.

Subsequent to the release last September of Police’s September 2020, Protecting our Crowded Places from Attack: New Zealand’s Strategy, and following meetings with NZ Police, a Crowded Places Security Special Interest Group (CPSSIG) was established under the NZSA last February.

In accordance with the Crowded Places Strategy, three advisory groups were established: (i) a government Crowded Places Advisory Group New Zealand (CPAGNZ); (ii) a private sector Business Advisory Group New Zealand (BAGNZ); and (ii) a Community Advisory Group New Zealand (CAGNZ).

The role of these groups is to contribute insights and ideas relating to crowded places resilience gathered from the sector they represent, and to share appropriate information back to their sectors.

As reported in the April issue of NZSM, the NZSA hosted a 23 February meeting attended by Police and a small group of industry representatives to talk crowded places and the potential for industry involvement. While that meeting effectively gave birth to the CPSSIG, Police expressed a view at that point that the security industry not be represented in the BAGNZ due to conflict of interest.

Police has since greenlighted the idea of a new advisory group under the Strategy, and now the CPSSIG has become the CPSAG (Crowded Places Security Advisory Group).

Described as a body of experienced security industry specialists, the CPSAG will provide specialist advice and direction in the protection of Crowded Places in line with the Strategy and the government Protective Security Requirements (PSR).

According to the group’s chair, Sir Ken McKenzie, “CPSAG is a skilled, experienced and diverse group of industry specialists from across NZ and well known to and respected within the private and public security sphere.”

“The formation of CPSAG is a positive step forward in bringing greater recognition to the significant contribution the private security sector provides in supporting the public sector agencies in NZ,” he told NZSM. “We are committed to delivering robust policy and transparent assurance that the private security sector is equipped and recognised as a credible security delivery partner in these rapidly changing times.”

Still in its very early days, the CPSAG will likely focus on areas such as intelligence, threat, vulnerability, critical risks and risk assessment, expanding to include protective security, counter terrorism, crowd control, physical security, security training competencies and associated licensing, security policy, research and development.

The Group’s mission is to build stronger private and public partnerships, share information and provide guidance, implementing effective protective security and improving response while increasing resilience. It will partner the BAGNZ and CAGNZ and - via NZ Police – the Counter Threat Assessment Group (CTAG).

“We are currently focused on establishing strong relationships within the private and public security sector,” said Sir Ken, “developing specialist competency frameworks to further support and enhance what is already on offer through NZQA with clear paths of learning and development opportunities for those seeking to grow a career in security consulting and a licensing structure that clearly aligns to the competency matrix.”