Lindt Siege: Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said in hindsight police ‘should have gone in earlier’

After the Lindt Siege coroner criticised NSW Police for waiting so long to storm the cafe, Commissioner Mick Fuller has announced a major policy shift.

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NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has announced a major policy shift in tactics used in a terror event that would have meant police would now have stormed the cafe earlier rather than waiting for someone to die.

He said police, in hindsight, would now deploy a “Deliberate Action Plan’’ rather than an emergency plan which required someone to be shot or the threat of serious injury to any of the hostages.

Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told the Daily Telegraph police should have entered the Lindt cafe earlier during the siege. Picture: Toby Zerna

It was the lack of a plan to enter the cafe unless the situation escalated which brought the most criticism from the family of the victims, Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson.

“In hindsight there are things we could have done better,’’ he told the Telegraph.

‘In hindsight, we should have gone in earlier.

“A terror situation changes all the rules. It is a game changer and most likely there would be an earlier engagement. The Deliberate Action Plan is now the preferred option.’’’

“The way we have managed and used force over the years has saved countless lives. The policy of contain and negotiate has been very successful in the past and will still be used. We are not going to just shoot someone who has a mental illness without any negotiations.

“But a terror situation is different and has to be treated so.’’

Mr Fuller stressed earlier engagement would not guarantee that lives would still not be lost.

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While admitting there were some shortfalls in the police operation he was adamant that police were operating under the belief that Monis had a bomb in his backpack.

“I cannot accept that some people are trying to whitewash the fact that police believed there was an explosive device in the backpack.

heavily armed police during the Lindt Siege. Picture: Toby Zerna

“Some people have tried to dismiss this fact. Again I will not accept any criticism that police did not have any reason not to believe there was a bomb in the back pack which also had to be considered when making decisions.’’

Fuller said all the intelligence suggested that.

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“I evacuated the area on the basis of that belief.’’

The now commissioner was an Assistant Commissioner of the Sydney metropolitan region when the siege occurred and was the first senior police in command of the operation.

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He has since taken over the top job from Andrew Scipione who retired months ahead of his scheduled date on April 2 and within weeks demoted deputy Commissioner Cath Burn has head of counter-terrorism.

Katrina Dawson died when police stormed the cafe.

Tori johnson was executed by Man Monis

The retirement of Scipione before the inquest findings and the demotion of Cath Burn is seen as being a pre-emptive strike against criticism the pair have suffered by the public and the families of the victims and hostages. Both were heavily criticised for going home during the siege.

“It shouldn’t matter where a leader sleeps but the community have spoken and no I wouldn’t go home,’’’ said Commissioner Fuller.

Another senior police source said Fuller took it upon himself to write letters to the families expressing the force’s sympathy and offered to meet them to answer any questions they may have.