NEW ZEALAND’S NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY
NEW ZEALAND’S SECURITY THREAT ENVIRONMENT
CROWDED PLACES AND VIOLENT EXTREMISM – STRATEGY, RESOURCES AND GUIDANCE
PROTECTING OUR CROWDED PLACES FROM ATTACK: NEW ZEALAND’S STRATEGY
As New Zealanders we need to work together to protect ourselves against the possibility of an attack to ensure the safety of those working, using and visiting crowded places.
Owners and operators of crowded places have a particular responsibility to understand their risks and to ensure protective security measures are in place as part of their emergency planning and health and safety practices.
Protecting Our Crowded Places from Attack: New Zealand’s Strategy sets out a consistent approach to promote the safety of crowded places. It explains what crowded places are, the risks they pose, and how businesses, event organisers, sports clubs, charities, community and religious groups, central government agencies and local government can help to keep people safe.
The strategy sets out a consistent approach to protecting crowded places throughout New Zealand. It introduces guidelines and tools to help owners and operators of crowded places reduce the chance of an attack occurring, and lessen its consequences, using methods that are proportionate to the threat. It will help owners and operators to:
- Conduct self-assessments of the risks of an attack at their location or event,
- Better understand how to Deter, Detect, Delay and Respond to an attack, and
- Assess the appropriate level of protective security needed.
Protecting our Crowded Places from Attack: Resources
Crowded Places are locations that large numbers of people access easily and predictably. They include arenas; transport hubs and public transport; buildings and offices; schools, shopping centres; restaurants, hotels, theatres and other entertainment venues; community festivals and markets; houses of worship; tourist attractions; and civic spaces. Crowded places also include open spaces like busy urban streets, parks and pedestrian malls.
A crowded place is not necessarily always crowded; the density of the crowd may vary between day and night, and between seasons and the crowd may be temporary (such as during sporting events, festivals, concerts or one-off events).
The Police want everyone to know and understand a simple message in case they are involved in an attack at a crowded place: ESCAPE, HIDE, TELL. Posters in 15 languages for display at appropriate sites are available on the Police website.
The strategy, guidelines, planning tools and answers to common questions are available on the Police website.
Please share this information with your staff, any organisations that you engage with, friends and family.
In an emergency, everyone should call 111.
Crowded Places Security Consultants – Skills, Qualifications and Experience
The Guidelines and Planning Tools provided by the Police website are an excellent resource for the owners and operators of crowded places.
In a number of instances, the guidelines and tools provide a recommendation that owners and operators of events and venues should seek additional support and guidance from specialist security advisors or consultants – particularly where the risk specific to the event or venue is deemed to be significant (identified as a score of 30 or more on the Self-Assessment Tool).
It is important that such Security Consultants have the necessary experience and skills to provide guidance and support commensurate with best practice.
The NZSA is the Peak Body representing security providers in New Zealand and provides the following guidance:
- All Security Consultants should hold a Company Security Licence under the Security Consultant category and similarly all individuals providing guidance should hold an Individual Security Certificate (known as a CoA or Certificate of Approval) under the Security Consultant category. Practitioners should provide a copy of their licence or certificate on request and details can also be checked on the Public Register on the PSPLA website (Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority).
- There are various types of security consultant recognised in New Zealand under the PSP&PI Act. It is important that a consultant contracted to provide guidance on Crowded Places meets the following definition:
- A professional who provides impartial security advice to clients
- Typically charges a fee for that advice
- Does not sell security equipment, products or guard services
- Has proven and relevant experience in the security sector, police or military
- Often holds professional qualifications (may be from prior service)
- Is a member of a recognised professional association or body
- Bound by a code of ethics within that professional body
- Security Consultants should be able to demonstrate they have relevant qualifications, skills and experience:
Qualifications include:
- Diploma or Degree
- SCCC Security Consultant Certificate of Competence
- Coordinated Incident Management Systems (SIMS) Level 4
- Emergency Management Level 6
- ASIS – CPP, PSP and APP
- International Diplomas and Degrees
Skills include:
- Conducting Security Reviews
- Operational and Physical Audits
- Knowledge of Protective Security Requirements
- Knowledge of CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design)
Experience includes:
- Minimum 3 years policing or military level at NCO level, or equivalent commercial experience
- Conducted previous Security Reviews (including for Crowded Places)
- Conducted previous Operational Audits and Physical Audits (including for Crowded Places)
- Supplementary information that can be requested includes:
- Referee reports
- Details of Professional association and affiliations
- Previous experience conducting security reviews
- Ability to effectively undertake a security review (subject matter knowledge)
- Impartiality of advice (do they have commercial affiliations)
- Published professional work
- Security clearance (where required)
Note: Where the crowded place is of significant scale or deemed to be of high risk (48 or above on Self-Assessment Tool) then local police should be advised. They may recommend that the owner/operator seek guidance from a security consultant with special expertise in Counter Terrorism. In addition to meeting the criteria above, such consultants must be able to demonstrate international expertise in counter terrorism, including:
- Hostile vehicle movement
- Active shooter
- Sniper
- IED
- Bomb threat
- Drone drops
- Lock in/lock out/lock down/shelter in place
Crowded Places Security Consultants in New Zealand with required Qualifications, Skills and Experience
The NZSA recommends the parties listed below as Security Consultants possessing the required qualifications, skills and experience to provide guidance on securing and protecting Crowded Places. Consultants with appropriate expertise in Counter Terrorism are also noted.
It is acknowledged that there may be additional Security Consultants who are suitably qualified however owners and operators of crowded places are advised to conduct appropriate due diligence against the criteria identified above.
Security Consultants can request inclusion on the recommended list by submitting their details and biography to the NZSA on [email protected].
Recommended Security Consultants (in alphabetical order):
BECA
Principal Consultants – Jonathan Howe, Rehan Du Toit and Chris Proctor
NZSA Member
www.beca.com
Global Risk Consulting (GRC)
Principal Consultant – Chris Kumeroa (expertise in Counter Terrorism)
NZSA Member
www.globalriskconsulting.co.nz
Icaras Security Consultants
Principal Consultants – James Yearsley and James Hurst (expertise in Counter Terrorism)
NZSA Member
www.icaras.nz
Opsec Solutions
Principal Consultants – Jack Milford and Rob Gathergood
www.opsec.co.nz
Reliance Risk
Principal Consultant – Adam Lynch
www.reliancerisk.com
Risq Australasia
Principal Consultant – Bruce Couper
NZSA Member
www.risq.co.nz
Section 646
Principal Consultant – Warwick Hall (Event Specialist)
www.s646.com or www.safetysetconsulting.com
Workforce Resilience
Principal Consultants – Scott Harris and Scott Banfield
www.workforceresilience.com.au
Protective security services sub-panel
The protective security services sub-panel is part of the operations management and risk subcategory for consultancy services. It is a risk based protective security framework which provides holistic protective security policies and guidance for agencies to better help agencies manage business risks and assure continuity of service delivery.
Inclusion in this panel does not imply that a vendor can provide services and expertise across all aspects of protective security or the protective security security services (PSR). Some vendors are specialised in a particular area or function of protective security, such as InfoSec or audit.
Agencies should undertake due diligence to ensure they are selecting a vendor with the appropriate qualification, skills, and experience to assist with their protective security requirement.
What’s covered
Providers appointed to this sub-panel may be able to provide one or more of the following services:
- Threat assessments
- Risk assessments
- Security planning
- Security governance
- Security assurance
- Security design
- Security awareness
Providers
Below is the list of providers for the consultancy services contract. Participating agencies can access further details on the providers through the Online Panel Directory. The Online Panel Directory is not accessed through this website.
Beca Limited
Codigital Limited
Deloitte Limited
EY
Holan Group Pty Limited
Gemtech Solutions Limited
ICARAS Consultants
KPMG
Mann & Associates Limited
Maven Consulting Limited
PriceWaterhouseCoopers
Quantum Security Services Limited
Straif Security Specialists Limited
Tracecare Limited
Using a Security Provider for Event and Venue Security Requirements
The Guidelines and Planning Tools provided by the Police website recognise that private security providers have an important role to play in protecting crowded places.
Sometimes private security personnel (security contractors, risk-analysis experts and private security officers) are directly responsible for making crowded places more secure. Often, they are the first responders to a terrorist attack or similar incident and consequently, they must be well trained and professional.
The Self-Assessment Tool will give owners and operators of crowded places guidance on the steps that they need to take. These will be commensurate with the identified risks and may include hiring a private security provider and implementing effective and proportionate protective security measures recommended by an expert.
Whilst it may be appropriate to use volunteers as Stewards or Wardens for very low- risk community events or small venues, it is recommended that the volunteers should still operate under the guidance or instruction of an experienced and licensed security professional.
For events and venues that score 30 or more on the Self-Assessment Tool it is strongly recommended that all security functions should be assigned to a suitably skilled, experienced and licensed private security provider.
The NZSA recommends that private security providers should meet, and be able to demonstrate compliance, with the following criteria:
Licensing
- The Company is licensed under the Crowd Controller category
- All operational staff assigned to the event or venue hold a “green” Certificate of Approval as a Crowd Controller. Staff with a “blue” Certificate of Approval (a temporary certificate pending completion of training) may be utilised but should only be assigned to non-frontline roles or paired with fully licensed staff with green Certificates of Approval.
Management experience
- The private security provider should assign a suitably experienced and skilled event/venue manager to oversee all operational requirements and to be located on site.
- The assigned Manager should have experience managing large teams
Previous Event/Venue
- The private security provider should be able to provide references demonstrating experience and capability in meeting security requirements for similar sized events/venues.
Training
- The private security provider should be able to provide details on crowded places training provided to staff, including management, team leaders and operational staff, respective to protecting crowded places. This is particularly relevant where specific risks are identified by the Self-Assessment Tool, the Security Audit and any specialist security or risk assessments.
Details on appropriately skilled and experienced Private Security Providers around the country can be found on the NZSA website under the Find a Security Professional tab.
Know the Signs – a guide for identifying signs of violent extremism
The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service has produced a guide to help members of the public in identifying signs of violent extremism. The guide draws on the expertise and experience of NZSIS’s intelligence professionals, who identified and compiled the most common behaviours observed during their work to counter violent extremism in Aotearoa New Zealand.
A key focus of the guide is “if you see something, say something”.
For further information please see the NZSIS website.