martin place siege

7/25/2019 Martin Place Siege

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MARTIN PLACE SIEGE

The Lindt Caf siege is the rst time we have witnessed in Australia what is

!er"eived t# $e at this stage a terr#rist in"ident inv#lving h#stages% I sa& at this

stage $e"ause the "#r#ner is &et t# ma'e a ruling #n whether it was a terr#rist

in"ident #r sim!l& a mentall& distur$ed individual with a grudge% All thatse!arates a terr#rism in"ident fr#m a d#mesti" "riminal in"ident is the

m#tivati#n the a"tual a"ts are all "riminal it is the reas#n $ehind the a"t that

determines if it is terr#rism #r n#t%

(hat resulted fr#m the Lindt Caf siege was a l#t #f dis"ussi#n and disse"ti#n #f

the !#li"e res!#nse #r !er"eived la"' #f !#li"e res!#nse t# the in"ident whi"h

ultimatel& resulted in the death #f tw# h#stages and the #)ender Man *ar#n

M#nis% S!e"i" "riti"ism has $een levelled at the P#li"e Mar'sman #r Sni!er wh#

did n#t ta'e a sh#t at M#nis #f the a!!arent la"' #f training #r e+!erien"e #f the

Ta"ti"al P#li"e t# deal with su"h an in"ident and nall& #f the !#li"e "#mmand

wh# failed t# give auth#risati#n t# "#ndu"t a ,ire"t A"ti#n entr& int# the $uilding

!ri#r t# the nal Emergen"& A"ti#n that was underta'en% Man& as'ed wh& the

militar& were n#t "alled in% (ell I am g#ing t# tr& and answer th#se -uesti#ns f#r

u n#w and dis!el the m&ths and untruths a$#ut #ur P#li"e Ta"ti"al .nits%

/irstl& a ,ire"t A"ti#n Entr& is an entr& made at a time and in a manner as

!lanned $& the !#li"e designed t# "at"h the #)ender #) guard% This !lan is

devel#!ed ver& earl& #n within the siege and w#uld $e altered as "ir"umstan"es

and intelligen"e "hange thr#ugh#ut its durati#n% It is the !referred #!ti#n #f the

P#li"e Ta"ti"al 0!erat#rs wh# ma'e entr& as it gives a distin"t advantage t#

them #ver the #)ender% An Emergen"& A"ti#n is a !lan that is !ut t#getherwithin a s!e"ied timeframe $ut generall& within 12 minutes #f the Ta"ti"al .nit

getting $##ts #n the gr#und% It is a sim!le !lan !ut in !la"e in "ase the situati#n

deteri#rates t# the !#int that the #)ender f#r"es the P#li"e t# enter% It is a

rea"ti#nar& !lan t# the #)ender and !uts the P#li"e Ta"ti"al .nit #n the $a"'

f##t whi"h is what we saw at the Lindt Caf% Again this !lan "an $e altered as

the siege !r#gresses $ut generall& it will $e a sim!le !lan that gets the #!erat#rs

inside -ui"'l& t# res!#nd t# what is #""urring inside%

/irstl& I want t# deal with the -uesti#n #f the P#li"e 3 Militar& issue% There is

mu"h de$ate a$#ut the a$ilities #f the P#li"e Ta"ti"al .nits t# deal with Terr#rismin"idents !arti"ularl& in "#m!aris#n with the Militar& Ta"ti"al .nits wh#

underta'e C#unter Terr#rist 0!erati#ns% The units assigned t# this tas' are

"alled TAG East and TAG (est N0T the SASR% These units were !rimaril&

esta$lished as a result #f a re-uirement t# !r#vide a res!#nse t# the S&dne&

0l&m!i"s%

Man& &ears ag# when the P#li"e rst f#rmed ta"ti"al units in the mid t# late

456s the& were trained $& the SASR wh# at that time were res!#nsi$le f#r

"#unter terr#rism are were "#nsidered the leaders in this area% *#wever the

SASR had never in fa"t dealt with an& f#rm #f Terr#rism #n Australian s#il and

had n#t !arta'en in a C#unter Terr#rist in"ident an&where else%


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Their training h#wever was $ased #n that #f #ther militar& units wh# had dealt

with terr#rism and as su"h the& were the $est !e#!le t# train the !#li"e in the

s'ills needed% In fa"t man& #f the f#unding mem$ers #f the ta"ti"al units were

e+ SASR mem$ers% The training #f P#li"e Ta"ti"al .nits is n# l#nger underta'en

$& the SASR with !#li"e ta'ing #ver as the !rimar& res!#nse t# C#unter Terr#rism

In"idents #ver 75 &ears ag# and su"h the& n#w have their #wn sele"ti#n andtraining re-uirements that are in "#m!lian"e with the Nati#nal C#unter Terr#rism

Plan whi"h is #verseen $& the Nati#nal C#unter Terr#rism C#mmittee%

TAG East and TAG (est are made u! #f mem$ers #f the 7ndC#mmand# Regiment

with a s!rin'ling #f SASR $ut !red#minantl& #n the East C#ast #f Australia the&

are 7ndC#mmand# Regiment mem$ers% These units $e"ame dedi"ated C#unter

Terr#rism .nits within the militar& $ut the& "ann#t $e de!l#&ed #n Australian s#il

with#ut dire"t !ermissi#n #f the Att#rne& General Minister #r Prime Minister%

This re-uirement is di"tated $& the legislati#n "#ntained in ,efen"e Legislati#n

"alled the Aid t# Civilian Auth#rities A"t%

There are tw# de!l#&ment meth#ds f#r the militar& #n Australian s#il #ne is $&

dire"t re-uest #f the P#li"e and the se"#nd is $& auth#risati#n #f the Att#rne&

General Minister #r Prime Minister where it is $elieved $end the "a!a$ilities #f

the P#li"e% The Nati#nal C#unter Terr#rism Plan has s!e"i" re-uirements in

!la"e that re-uire the state where an in"ident is #""urring t# e+haust all #ther

assistan"e fr#m #ther states $ef#re re-uesting militar& assistan"e% It sh#uld $e

n#ted that it was re!#rted that this had #""urred at the Lindt Caf with the 8ld

P#li"e S!e"ial Emergen"& Res!#nse Team $eing en9r#ute t# the s"ene at the time

the in"ident "ame t# an end%

:e"ause #f this re-uirement t# e+haust all #ther assistan"e fr#m the #ther

states ever& state will !r#vide additi#nal su!!#rt $& wa& #f #!erat#rs and

e-ui!ment t# the re-uesting state% This is wh& the !#li"e "#ndu"t annual

inter#!era$ilit& training and wh& the /ederal G#vernment !um!ed hundreds #f

th#usands #f d#llars int# e-ui!!ing ever& state with the same e-ui!ment in

755;%

The "all #ut f#r the Militar& is n#t a fast !r#"ess even if the& are "alled #ut

with#ut re-uest% The time all#"ated f#r Militar& res!#nse t# an in"ident e+"eeds

the length that the siege went f#r s# in an& "ase the militar& w#uld never havearrived #n s"ene at the Lindt Caf $ef#re it ended an&wa&%

The militar& if re-uested $& P#li"e will a"tuall& $e under the "#mmand #f the

P#li"e% The& will $e "#ntr#lled $& their militar& $#sses $ut the& will $e dire"ted

t# tas'ings at the P#li"e re-uest the& d# n#t sim!l& ta'e #ver% Again this is

written int# the legislati#n f#r Aid f#r Civilian Auth#rities%

N#w let us l##' at the training and e+!erien"e #f the P#li"e versus the militar&%

The !#li"e ta"ti"al units !rimar& r#le is "#unter terr#rism% It is n#t d#mesti"

in"idents this is a se"#ndar& r#le and #ne that !r#vides the P#li"e with the

e+!erien"e the& need t# underta'e "#unter terr#rist #!erati#ns% Let me e+!lain%All training "#ndu"ted $& P#li"e is identi"al t# the training "#ndu"ted $& the


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militar& "#unter terr#rism teams% The& all use the same e-ui!ment have

availa$le multi!le wea!#ns f#r a variet& #f !ur!#ses and utilise the same ta"ti"s

when entering a $uilding% There is n# di)eren"e% P#li"e h#wever are su$


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The P#li"e train in their ta"ti"s u! t# 4 h#urs a da& #r m#re if n#t #n #!erati#ns

and the& attend "#untless sieges thr#ugh#ut their "areer where h#stages are

inv#lved% The Australian militar& has never attended an in"ident where the&

have had t# res"ue h#stages% >es the& have $een in war and d#ne r##m

"learan"es whi"h is a signi"antl& di)erent tas' t# that #f the P#li"e $ut there is

n# d#"umented eviden"e #f them having t# save a gr#u! #f h#stages in a siegesituati#n ever% The P#li"e deal with this #n a semi regular $asis as we saw

re"entl& where !#li"e sh#t dead a male wh# had $#und three h#stages in

(estern Australia% The& deal with sieges even m#re regularl& that inv#lve

mentall& ill !ers#ns #r high ris' "riminals% A l#ne terr#rist with multi!le h#stages

is n#t #ut #f the "a!a$ilities #f #ur P#li"e Ta"ti"al .nits the& are highl&

e+!erien"ed and trained t# deal with these situati#ns% I $elieve this !uts t# $ed

the argument #f the P#li"e n#t $eing e+!erien"ed #r training t# the level re-uired

t# underta'e the Lindt Caf


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#!!#rtunit& had arisen and we as the general !u$li" having n#t $een sitting in

his seat and seeing what he was seeing "ann#t sa& if an #!!#rtunit& a"tuall&

ar#se f#r him #r n#t des!ite what we saw #n T3 given the "amera angle was

"#m!letel& di)erent t# the angle he w#uld have fr#m his ri@e s"#!e% Let us

assume h#wever that at s#me !#int the #!!#rtunit& t#


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inside the h#use and use #ur s'ills t# their fullest% :ut under #ur Nati#nal

C#unter Terr#rism Plan neg#tiati#n is the rst ste! in an& in"ident this is n#t #u wal' awa&

thin'ing if #nl& we had g#ne in% :ut the $#sses have man& !ressures #n themthe& ma'e "alls that we aren6t alwa&s ha!!& with $ut have a $igger !i"ture li'e

!#liti"s t# deal with%

It never l##'s g##d when !#li"e ma'e entr& and sh##t s#me#ne dead and the

P#li"e never want t# $e $lamed f#r instigating the "#nfr#ntati#n% In additi#n t#

that this was $eing $eamed a"r#ss the "#untr& live h#w mu"h m#re !ressure

d# the P#li"e "#mmand need t# $e under% ,# I thin' a ,ire"ti#n A"ti#n sh#uld

have $een used an em!hati" &es fr#m me $ut all #!erat#rs w#uld sa& that% I

sa& &es $e"ause it gives a distin"t advantage t# us $ut it is e+tremel& ris'& if

u d# n#t have all the inf#rmati#n needed immediatel& $ef#re "rashing thed##r% P#li"e C#mmand are n#t 'een t# ma'e entr& f#r a variet& #f reas#n s#me I

!r#$a$l& d#n6t 'n#w a$#ut $e"ause I haven6t $een in their sh#es $ut I d#

$elieve we need a "hange #f mindset we need t# get #n the fr#nt f##t

s#metimes and ma'e things ha!!en rather than wait and see what ha!!ens% I

d#n6t env& the C#mmand in this situati#n the& made a de"isi#n the& th#ught

was right $ut it w#uld $e interesting t# 'n#w the $a"'gr#und #f the C#mmand

ma'ing the de"isi#ns and if the& have a full "#m!rehensi#n #f the "a!a$ilities #f

the Ta"ti"al .nit% The& will $e "riti"ised $ut I am sure the& will have reas#ns f#r

their de"isi#ns%

/inall& when P#li"e made entr& t# the Lindt Caf #ne h#stage had alread& $een

e+e"uted there was n#thing in their !#wer the& "#uld d# a$#ut that initial

sh##ting given the& had n# !ermissi#n t# ma'e entr& until the Emergen"& A"ti#n

was initiated% .!#n entr& the& had sh#t and 'illed M#nis within a$#ut

se"#nds% (hat 'illed the se"#nd h#stage was a single $ullet that had stru"'

an#ther item inside the $uilding and ri"#"heted #) stri'ing her fem#ral arter&%

The !#li"e did n#t sh##t this h#stage it was a ri"#"het a highl& unf#rtunate

a""ident as a result #f the %77 "ali$re wea!#n used whi"h has a high vel#"it&

r#und% (#uld this have ha!!ened if the& P#li"e used a Dmm r#und #ut #f a MP2

we "ann#t sa& $ut I w#uld assume the r#unds used $& !#li"e will "#me under

s#me s"rutin& in the "#r#ner hearing% The !#li"e wh# attended this in"identfr#m the Sni!er t# the C#mmand and nall& t# the ve mem$ers wh# ran inside

that $uilding under re Let us n#t f#rget that #ne #="er was sh#t in the fa"eF

did what the& $elieved t# $e the right thing in #rder get ever& h#stage #ut #f

that $uilding alive% Ea"h individual #="ers "ir"umstan"es were di)erent n#9#ne

"an sa& what the& w#uld d# in their sh#es $ut I $elieve it was #nl& fair t# !ut

f#rward s#me fa"ts regarding what these !e#!le fa"e in ma'ing life and death

de"isi#ns in an instant with#ut $eing "riti"ised f#r th#se de"isi#ns the& made%

The& are the $est at what the& d# the& train hard and l#ng and live ever& da&

'n#wing that #ne mista'e #n an&


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?as#n S!ive&

martin place siege

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