Top cops’ dressing down over lack of uniforms at caravan inquiry

The NSW Police hierarchy came ready for the tough questions about the explosives found in a Sydney caravan at a parliamentary inquiry, but instead they were quizzed about their business attire.

The NSW Police hierarchy came ready for the tough questions about terrorism, who knew what and when about explosives found in a Sydney caravan, only to be caught off guard when quizzed on their dress sense at a NSW parliamentary inquiry.

Commissioner Karen Webb was grilled by Liberal MLC Susan Carter on Monday about the attire worn by her and two deputies, David Hudson and Peter Thurtell, who were also appearing at the inquiry.

“I must admit, I haven't seen you in civvies before and I just wondered, Commissioner, was that a deliberate decision?’’ she asked.

Ms Webb replied: “Yeah, it was actually. We had a conversation last week ... and it was a matter, at that stage, we had an application for an in-camera hearing, not knowing what the outcome was, and the nature of the discussion, you can attend in plain clothes.”

Ms Carter pointed out that in all other inquiries, such as estimates, officers were always in uniform.

“I think we are suitably attired,” Ms Webb said in reply.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb was questioned on her attire.

The trio were all dressed in business attire, with Ms Webb in a knitted jacket and Mr Hudson and Mr Thurtell in suits and ties.

The requests for proceedings to go behind closed doors was rejected late on Friday and Ms Webb acknowledged she knew about the matter being in public on Monday morning, but she hadn’t spoken to her deputies since Friday.

Deputy Commissioners Peter Thurtell and David Hudson (pictured) also wore business attire.

Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell opted for a suit.

The inquiry is examining when Premier Chris Minns and other cabinet ministers knew the caravan was not a terror plot before hate crime speech laws were passed.

Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said the Australian Federal Police withheld vital information from their NSW counterparts about the identity of the mastermind behind the caravan plot for weeks and relented only after a senior NSW detective agreed to sign a non-disclosure order.

It wasn’t until February 21 that the AFP said its source had been totally discredited and that it was not terror-related.

At a press conference on March 10, after legal advice indicated no terror-related charges could be laid, AFP Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett declared the caravan was not a terror plot but a “criminal con job”.

On Monday, Mr Hudson took issue with that description.

“It was not a con job,” he said.

“That is an AFP term. NSW Police were not conned,” said Mr Hudson, who suspected from the outset the mastermind was someone wanting to manipulate the courts for a reduced sentence or immunity.

NSW Police were kept in the dark for weeks about the motivation behind the explosive-laden caravan and links between the alleged mastermind and anti-Semitic attacks in Sydney.

Derriwong Road in Dural near where a caravan was found. Picture: NewsWire / Damian Shaw

“NSW Police were totally unaware of the motivation (of an AFP source indicating there was a terror plot),’’

“We were not told and repeatedly asked,” adding that AFP protocols and processes would not allow for the disclosure of the source’s identity.

On January 19, NSW Police and the AFP began a joint counter-terrorism investigation after a resident of Dural, in Sydney’s northwest, found a caravan that had been left by the side of a road contained 40kg of explosives, anti-Semitic notes and a list of Jewish targets.

Mr Hudson told the inquiry he suspected the caravan was a plant to be used for leverage in a criminal matter rather than a terrorist attack on the first day, and that he told Mr Minns that on January 20.

“But reporting by the AFP could not be ignored and kept the investigation at its highest level,’’ he repeatedly told the inquiry.

When asked the by chair of the inquiry, independent Rod Roberts, whether there needed to be improvements made and a review of the interaction and information sharing between the AFP and NSW Police, as well as the operation of joint counter-terrorism team, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb agreed.

Originally published as Top cops’ dressing down over lack of uniforms at caravan inquiry