September 2017

1 September 2017

Review of the NSW Police Force’s Firearms Registry

The Minister for Police and Emergency Services approved the Terms of Reference for this Review and agreed to establish the review under the auspices of section 217 of the Police Act 1990. The Terms of Reference of the Review encompass the following issues:

  1. Whether the Registry’s operations are efficient and effective and align with its legislative and regulatory responsibilities;
  2. Detailed recommendations for enhancing the Registry’s effectiveness through the use of improved Information Technology solutions, such as smart card licensing, and including a proposed implementation and business plan;
  3. Opportunities to minimise or abolish any red tape or unnecessary bureaucracy in dealings with Registry customers;
  4. Whether the Registry is currently managing its relationships with key stakeholders in a manner which is effective in the progressing of its legislative and regulatory role;
  5. Whether appropriate internal controls and safeguards are in place to manage sensitive information that the Registry holds;
  6. Appropriate funding options, fee for service and cost recovery opportunities for current and proposed business practices;
  7. The appropriateness of governance and reporting arrangements for the Registry;
  8. Whether current functions such as, for example, approving paintball or range approvals are more appropriately located elsewhere within the public sector;
  9. What scope there is to align the Registry’s regulatory functions to better inform the NSW Police Force’s enforcement of broader firearm and weapons prohibition laws.

The Review was intended to assess Registry functions and processes and recommended business practice and IT system solutions; it was not designed to assess the effectiveness of the legislative framework that governs firearms and weapons prohibition in NSW or Australia.

Read the review (authorised for public release) - Review of the NSW Police Force’s Firearms Registry 

May 2017

24 May 2017

Lindt Siege Inquest Response

The NSW Police Force acknowledges NSW State Coroner Michael Barnes report into the Lindt Cafe Siege, and the 45 recommendations he has made today.

The NSW Police Force will move swiftly to examine these, and the Coroner’s 600 page report, and we will do everything in our power to learn from this very thorough process.

I note the Coroner found Man Haron Monis alone bears responsibility for the Siege.

Despite our best efforts for a peaceful resolution, two innocent people, Tori Johnson and Katrina Dawson, lost their lives.

Today, my thoughts and prayers remain with their loved ones, the courageous hostages, their families and also our officers.

And while acknowledging the loss of those two wonderful people, we have a duty to keep learning, to keep improving - to do whatever we can to protect the community from acts of terror.

Today’s findings provide a further opportunity to do that.

The terror environment evolves constantly and we must keep pace with that.

In acknowledging the Coroner’s conclusions, I believe it should never be lost that the potential for a bomb underlined every action taken by police during the siege. I believe criticism that ignores that fact, is unfair to all officers involved.

Hindsight will benefit us all but the Coroner has put that in to clear context today.

The officers who responded that day faced an unprecedented situation yet they showed incredible courage and professionalism throughout the siege.

In the past two and a half years, we have updated our training, procedures and equipment.

Whilst no operation is perfect – we will continue to navigate the difficult balance of using force to save life or potentially take a life.

The NSW Police Force acknowledges in-principle the Coroner’s 28 recommendations that are specifically for NSW Police.

To give the community some comfort many of the recommendations have already been acted on. Some have been completed and others are progressing.