June 2019
4 June 2019
Exercise Pantograph
“On 17 and 18 October 2017, the NSW Police Force conducted a training exercise called Exercise Pantograph.
“The exercise simulated a terrorist or high-risk incident in order to test the coordination and operational response to such an incident.
“On 18 October 2017, the NSW Police Force released photographs and video footage of the exercise to the media.
“The media publicised this material widely to the general public.
“During the training exercise, two officers who were portraying the active armed offenders wore headscarves that the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal found would have been identified by members of the public as being Palestinian and/or Arabic headscarves.
“The Tribunal found that it was not necessary to use these headscarves to achieve the objectives of the exercise.
“It found that using them had the capacity to incite members of the public to hatred and/or serious contempt of Palestinian and/or Arabic people. The NSW Police Force had no intention to vilify any racial group.
“However, the Tribunal has confirmed that there does not need to be any intent for racial vilification to occur. NSW Police Force apologises for the use of these headscarves in the exercise.”