Victoria Police to adopt a New York Police Department ‘Shield’ program to Melbourne safe
SECURITY at popular key sites across the CBD will be urgently bolstered in a bid to thwart future terror attacks. Interactive map: See the landmarks getting a security upgrade.
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SECURITY at popular key sites across the CBD will be urgently bolstered in a bid to thwart future terror attacks.
Work will be carried out at nine sites including Bourke St Mall, Federation Square, Southbank Promenade and Queen Victoria Market.
It comes as Victoria Police plans to adopt a New York Police Department “Shield” program — sharing confidential intelligence reports with the private sector — in order to combat terror plots.
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The Shield program — formed in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks — opens up lines of communication between police and security officials from office buildings to sports stadiums.
The NYPD intelligence reports, started two years ago, assess an event and detail threats, risks and potential problems such as choke points for the public.
Assistant Commissioner Ross Guenther, head of Victoria Police’s Counter Terror Command on Tuesday hosted a forum on terrorism for business leaders.
About 15 organisations attended, including the AFL, Crown, Arts Centre Victoria, City of Melbourne, Public Transport Victoria, Westfield shopping centre, Queen Victoria Market and some of the city’s hotels and universities.
It was held just four days after Hassan Khalif Shire Ali carried out his deadly attack in Bourke St and on the day James “Dimitrious” Gargasoulas was found guilty of murdering six people and injuring 27 in last year’s Bourke St rampage.
“Friday’s incident on Bourke St demonstrates the importance of working closely with our crowded-places industry partners around strengthening our preparedness and response,” Mr Guenther exclusively told the Herald Sun.
“The NYPD intelligence group push out information in relation to security and situational assessments of their events. They have just done one recently for the New York Marathon.
“Prior to an event, to all the stakeholders and business partners, they send a piece of intelligence about what they see the risks around an event would be.
“For example they tell them there are going to be choke points at certain areas, there will be lots of police in these areas and then, (after) the event, a debriefing document is sent out.”
Other sites across the CBD to be upgraded under the $41 million plan are Olympic Boulevard, the State Library and Southern Cross Station.
More than 50 stainless steel bollards will be installed at Flinders St Station, while permanent bollards will replace concrete blocks on Princes Bridge. Also as part of the package, 190 public address speakers are being installed at 95 inner-city sites.
The CBD has 30 CCTV cameras with a further 30 being installed.
Police will also offer counter-terror training in the public-private partnership.
The NYPD method has also been adopted by about six others states in the US.
“It is something both (Deputy Commissioner) Shane Patton and myself are very keen to progress here,” Mr Guenther said. “With Melbourne having so many events across the year, we would start filtering information out to all of those groups.”
Police hope that by working closely with organisations, they will become well prepared in protecting themselves against a terror attack. “It is very much about preparation,” Mr Guenther said.
“It is so, if an event occurs, we have a pretty unified way which we respond and deal with it.
“It is also about how we get back to normality after an event occurs.
“It is important to take everyone through that and test their thinking on it.”
Mr Guenther thinks if Victoria adopts a program similar to NYPD Shield, it could also be used by other Australian police forces.
The City of Melbourne was guided by advice from Victoria Police and security experts, a spokesman said.
“Temporary protective measures — concrete blocks and other barriers — have been in place for almost a year, with the focus on getting the permanent measures right,” he said.