Five senior British police officers, with expertise in counter-terrorism, hostage situations and firearms, begin work this week reviewing the actions of NSW Police Force during the deadly Lindt Cafe siege, ahead of the inquest’s final hearings. Continue reading Senior British Police Team To Start Review of Lindt Cafe Siege Response
A heroic police dog killed in the Saint-Denis raids in Paris is to be awarded a top honour for gallantry. Continue reading Police Dog ‘Diesel’ Killed In Paris Raid Awarded Medal for Bravery
‘Worrying gaps’ in UK’s ability to respond after police budget cuts, claims shadow home secretary Andy Burnham. Continue reading Lack of Armed Police ‘Leaves UK Regions Open To Terrorist Attack’
The NSW Police Force is looking at technology which would allow them to convert the Glock pistols currently used by officers into a ‘rifle’ to better equip them in the event of potential active shooter incidents or terror attacks.
Fitting conversions kits to existing Glocks is one option being looked at by the police force to better equip officers on the front line.
The standard Glock pistols used by New South Wales Police Force can be modified to a long arm weapon with an attachment fitted to the pistol grip and an extended barrel, possibly giving greater accuracy.
The NSW Police Association has been calling on the government and police hierarchy to have rifles in all highway patrol vehicles since the Lindt cafe siege last December.
True Blue Line Editor – in my view, Glock modification does not qualify as a rifle (compared to, for example, a Colt M4). It’s not clear how the modifications would be deployed – the entire assembly carried at all times or having the conversion kit in the car – we can see many problems with both scenarios.
A new “active shooter’’ training program designed specifically to teach officers how to best handle terror situations has also been rolled out.
Uniformed police and highway patrol officers are invariably the first to arrive at the scene of any major incident ahead of specialist units such as the counter-terrorism and the heavily armed Tactical Operations Unit.
Consideration is being given to future options involving long arms, but the current priority is to provide enhanced training to officers with the weapons they currently use,” a police spokesman said.
The use of a Glock conversion kit is seen as a quick and cost-effective way to beef up the existing police weapons.
“A typical conversion kit would be half the cost of a new firearm,’’ president of the National Firearms Association Mr Luca Scribani Rossi said.
“The longer barrel improves accuracy. With the weapon being turned into a carbine there is a sight for aiming.”
True Blue Line Editor – Cheap, temporary solution that may well become permanent, endangering the lives of officers and citizens.
Read full article: The Daily Telegraph.
Britain’s Counter-Terrorism Command is investigating the stabbing of at least three people at a London Underground train station on Saturday.
Multiple people were attacked at the Leytonstone underground station including one man who suffered serious knife injuries and two others who had minor injuries, police said. Continue reading Counter-Terrorism Command Investigates London Stabbings
France on Friday warmly accepted the offer of a puppy from Russia as a replacement for a police dog named Diesel which was killed during operations after the November 13 terror attacks in Paris. Continue reading France Accepts Russian ‘Replacement’ for Police Dog Diesel Killed In Paris Attack
The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs decided to send a puppy to their French counterparts to replace Diesel the police dog that was killed during a police raid in Paris on Wednesday. Continue reading Russia Sends Puppy to French Police to Replace Fallen Police Dog Diesel
Police commandos will be deployed to the Gold Coast for Schoolies week in the wake of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris. Continue reading Police Commandos Deployed To Gold Coast for Schoolies
A terror training exercise in which more than 200 people ‘died’ in twin Adelaide attacks was conducted almost a year ago, in circumstances strikingly similar to the Paris massacre.
Government documents obtained by The Advertiser under Freedom of Information laws, reveal the nightmare scenarios Australian anti-terror authorities must be prepared for.
The documents, from the Department of Premier and Cabinet and SA Police, reveal details on the two mock attacks in Adelaide last year, in which more than 200 people died, dozens more were injured and up to 355 people held hostage.
The exercise, planned over 12 months by the Australian-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee, reacted to strikingly similar events to those in the French capital, in which terrorists killed 129 people.
Last December’s multi-agency counter-terrorism drill, named Joint Command 2,tested responses to an atrocity at various Adelaide locations. It involved SA Police and various state and federal agencies.
The documents show how the Police Commissioner would hand over control to federal authorities, if South Australian officials believe they cannot resolve the incident.
The army would then police streets and soldiers allowed to use “lethal” force, the documents state.
But one document was kept secret because it would “reveal very specific details” about policing and critical “prevention, detection and investigative tactics”.
The first scenario involved two bombs exploding at 9am outside an Indian and Bangladesh World Cup match attended by 40,000 fans at Adelaide Oval.
Evacuating spectators are then confronted by two gunmen with semi-automatic rifles, who randomly shoot fans. More than 200 people die and dozens more are injured. The terrorists are shot dead by uniformed police.
Read the full article in The Advertiser.
While it is early stages in any investigation, it appears that there was no hostage-taking incident at the Bataclan concert hall Paris on 13 November 2015. It was simply three men actively engaged in killing people in a confined and populated area: an active shooter attack. Continue reading Australia’s Active-Shooter Lessons From The Paris Attacks
