Territory Response Group on protecting Prince William and Barack Obama

THE Territory Response Group doesn’t just find murderers and gunmen — they also provide protection to the world’s most powerful people including the US president and the royals. The last instalment in our series focusing on the TRG.

The Territory Response Group rub shoulders with world dignitaries but don’t get time to relax when they are around. Art: Stuart Thornton

THE Territory Response Group doesn’t just find murderers and gunmen — they also provide protection to some of the world’s most powerful people.

As soon as someone of significance touches down in the Territory, the TRG is there to look after them.

Protection is given to internationally recognised people such as royals and heads of state.

Superintendent Shaun Gill has helped look after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate; and Barak Obama.

Former US President Barack Obama greeting Australian troops at RAAF Base Darwin in Darwin on November 17, 2011. The TRG had to provide security for the Obama. Picture: TOPSHOTS/AFP PHOTO/Saul Loeb

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Before they touch down in the NT, the TRG has to scope out the areas the dignitary wants to visit and work out action plans for any scenario.

In the case of Kate and William visiting the NT in 2014, the TRG was told months in advance, allowing them time to create a 24-hour security package alongside palace security.

“For operations such as this you don’t turn up and do it you’ve got to plan them. You go out to the place in advance and make sure they’re secure,” Sup Gill said.

“Every bit of security we do on anything is essentially based on intelligence and based on risk so we have extensive risk packages designed before anyone even comes in the country so we know basically the threat levels and that sort of stuff.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge return from their evening stroll to the Kuniya Waterhole during their tour of Uluru. The TRG were tasked to provide them with 24-hour protection. Picture: PHIL WILLIAMS

Sup Gill said they took them to meet the school kids and the township of Yulara.

The operation was on a large scale and involved more than 20 people.

Everything from crowd control, blocking of roads and close protection security is taken care of by the NT Police.

“At the end we got a letter from palace security thanking us for our work and saying we did a terrific job,” he said.

The TRG were had to plan the safety measures during the entirety of the royal’s visit to the Territory including public ceremonies. Picture: PHIL WILLIAMS.

Supt Gill said when Barak Obama visited Darwin on November 17 2011, it was the largest operation he had ever seen. Obama was on the ground for just four hours.

The Esplanade had been cleared out — not a single person or car that wasn’t meant to be there was there.

Obama had come to pay his respects to the US sailors killed in the 1942 bombing of Darwin, before meeting US and Australian troops at the Darwin RAAF base.

Territory police practised scenarios in preparation for US President Barack Obama's visit to Darwin. Picture: NT Police

Eighty-nine men perished aboard the American war ship USS Peary in the Japanese attack.

Supt Gill, who was working in Alice Springs at the time was flown up to help with the operation.

“We had hundred and hundreds of general duties from Darwin and we had to bring up people from Alice Springs and we had to bring up extra police from all over Australia just to help with co-ordinating it just to lock the place down,” he said.

The convoy of cars that Obama and security travelled in was between 13 and 15 cars.

Jets and helicopters flew overhead while the US president was on the ground.

Sup Gill said the operation was next level and nothing like what he had ever experienced.

US President, Barack Obama after he arrived in Darwin.

“The security for that was incredible and I’ve never seen anything so big so massive,” he said.

“Regardless of the job the TRG plan for every scenario.

“We plan for the best case scenarios, we plan for the worst case scenarios we plan for everything.”

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Originally published as Territory Response Group on protecting Prince William and Barack Obama