New South Wales’s private Jewish security organisation should be permitted to be armed in public spaces, prominent businessman and philanthropist Steven Lowy says.
Community Security Group NSW (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 the deadly Bondi Beach terror attack last December.
Shortly after the shooting, NSW Premier Chris Minns flagged that arming CSG NSW would be considered.
The premier addressed the issue again in late April, saying discussions were ongoing.
Heavy police patrols were deployed to Bondi Beach in the wake of the deadly shooting on December 14. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
Mr Lowy, who is Jewish, on Tuesday said arming the CSG would bolster the security and confidence of the Jewish community.
“My view is that would be one measure that would enhance the safety and security … when Jews congregate in public spaces,” he told the ABC’s AM program.
“So yes, I do believe that would be one of the recommendations that should be taken up because it would also be, it would be an assistance to the police.
“And if that would have been the case at Bondi, I think the tragedy would have been far smaller.“
Senior police officer says arming groups ‘problematic’
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson last month told the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion that police would have “considerable reservation” about granting additional powers and privileges to CSG.
“Isolating a particular group for additional powers within our community is problematic,” he said.
“It creates a disconnect between groups.
“It can cause friction between groups if one particular element of society is afforded privileges that others aren’t.”
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner David Hudson addressed the proposal at the royal commission. (ABC News: Adam Griffiths)
Mr Lowy said he recognised there were “vastly different views” on the “complex” issue of arming the private group.
“I hope that it gets serious consideration because under very controlled, in a very controlled environment with high-quality and disciplined education and training for these matters, I think we would be living in a safer country if that was the case,” he said.
Mr Lowy on Monday fronted the royal commission, which is now examining the prevalence of hate speech online and in the media.
He told the inquiry how his family’s security detail was tasked with identifying offensive and threatening material on social media, with the team collecting more than 15,000 posts, comments and images in the past year.
Some of the threats were made against his father and holocaust survivor Frank Lowy, who founded Australian think tank the Lowy Institute and was the former long-time chairman of Westfield Corporation.
