Risk consultant defends arming private security at Jewish events

In short:

The royal commission on antisemitism has heard from Jewish member groups' about whether security should be armed when protecting public events.

Risk consultant Gavriel Schneider said the private sector could provide a "valuable alternative or support" to existing policing resources.

Over the past week, witnesses have given evidence about the security arrangements at Jewish institutions, events and places of worship.

A royal commission on antisemitism has pressed a risk and security consultant on his belief that the private security sector should be armed when protecting open air events.

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has returned to Sydney after sitting in Melbourne, which has the country's largest population of Jewish Australians.

Witnesses over the past week have given evidence about the security arrangements at Jewish institutions, events and places of worship.

The commission has previously heard evidence about the possibility of arming the Community Security Group (CSG) NSW to bolster security and help the community feel safe in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack.

CSG NSW provides volunteer support and security services at Jewish events and institutions across the state, and had an unarmed presence at the Hanukkah event targeted in December's terror attack.

Risk consultant Gavriel Schneider on Monday told the commission the private security sector could be better utilised to immediately respond to violent incidents in the time before emergency services could be deployed.

Dr Schneider said this could include arming private security officers stationed at open air events, such as the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi.

Commissioner Virginia Bell SC AC pressed Dr Schneider on that suggestion, saying Australians were broadly "averse" to a visibly armed security presence at community events.

"The notion that one makes a community safer by arming more people might not be one that enjoys broad support in the Australian context," she put to Dr Schneider.

Dr Schneider acknowledged the community's concerns, but said the private sector could provide a "valuable alternative or support" to existing policing resources.

Premier 'considering' arming security for events

Shortly after the Bondi Beach attack, NSW Premier Chris Minns said the state government needed to take a "deeper look at arming CSG".

The premier addressed the issue again in late April, saying discussions were ongoing.

A NSW government spokesperson said "any serious proposal that could improve community safety, including the evidence and recommendations of the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion" would be considered.

"This year, the Minns Labor Government established Australia's first rapid response unit, which will embed a high-visibility, intelligence-led policing unit that can quickly respond to threats, patrol high-risk areas, protect places of worship and major events, and provide a visible presence to keep communities safe," the spokesperson said in a statement.

"Once fully operational, it will have approximately 250 dedicated police officers, 28 civilian staff and a fleet of specifically modified rapid-response vehicles."

The commission also heard from the Jewish Communal Appeal (JCA), which is the body responsible for allocating donor funds to its member groups.

About $20 million was raised through the group's fundraising efforts last year, but the commission did not hear what proportion was allocated to security and protection services.

The organisation's CEO Alain Hasson said member groups' security needs had increased significantly over the past three years, with donor funds unable to keep up with the demand.

"The main aim of JCA is to have a thriving, vibrant Jewish community," he said.

"Every dollar we give to security and fighting antisemitism is a loss for … Jewish identity."

Mr Hasson said the community was grateful for any government funding allocated to support Jewish Australians' safety, but said more standing reoccurring grants were needed to keep services sustainable into the future.

He said these grants should be made available to all minority groups with an assessed security need, not just the Jewish community.

Parts of the security-focused hearings have been shut to the public, with AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt among those to give evidence behind closed doors last week.

Counsel assisting Richard Lancaster SC said there was "a limit to the detail that can be adduced publicly about the specific security measures" in place at Jewish sites and functions.

"Ventilation of security matters in open hearings should not compromise the very security arrangements that this hearing block seeks to understand and improve," he said last week.