HOMELAND SECURITY Crowded Places Strategy: from development to implementation Recent discussions between New Zealand Police and the New Zealand Security Association around Protecting our Crowded Places from Attack: New Zealand’s Strategy is a positive development, writes Nicholas Dynon.
Nicholas Dynon is chief editor of Line of Defence Magazine, and a widely published commentator on New Zealand’s defence, national security and private security sectors.
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Published by Police on 17 September 2020, Protecting our Crowded Places from Attack: New Zealand’s Strateg y forms part of the New Zealand Counter Terrorism Strategy, also published in 2020 by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Recent engagement between Police and the NZSA is unprecedented, yet has been welcomed by the security industry. There is no history of ongoing liaison between Police and the NZSA, and no established mechanism for engagement. No input had been sought by Police from the NZSA or the private security sector in the formulation of the Strategy. A 23 February meeting attended by Police, NZSA, and a small group of industry representatives was convened by the NZSA to talk crowded places and the potential for industry involvement. A quick recap on the strategy New Zealand’s Crowded Places strategy builds on the body of work trail-blazed by the UK Protecting crowded places from terrorism guidance of November 2014, the US Department of Homeland Security’s Soft Targets and Crowded Places Resources, and Australia’s Strategy for Protecting Crowded Places from Terrorism, which was launched on 20 August 2017 by then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Released without such fanfare, the timing of the New Zealand’s strategy appears to have been delayed initially by the first anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks and then by the disruption of the COVID
pandemic and last year’s national election. It remains a little known document. The strategy sets out a consistent approach to promote the safety of crowded places. It explains what crowded places are, the risks they pose, and how businesses, event organisers, sports clubs, charities, community and religious groups, central government agencies and local government can help to keep people safe. It introduces guidelines and tools to help owners and operators of crowded places reduce the chance of an attack occurring, and lessen its consequences, using methods that are proportionate to the threat. As part of the Strategy the Police has established three groups: (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). According to the Strategy, these advisory groups “will contribute insights and ideas gathered from the sector they represent, related to making New Zealand’s crowded places more resilient. It is expected that these groups will share appropriate information received back to the sector they represent.” Business Advisory Group involvement? During the 23 February meeting, Police’s comments that they had formed the view that the security industry not be represented in the Business Advisory Group (BAGNZ) Line of Defence
