Crowded places are sites and events open to use by large numbers of people on a predictable basis. They can be buildings or open spaces. A crowded place will not necessarily be crowded at all times as crowd densities may vary between day and night and may be temporary. Crowded places are potentially attractive to terrorists for reasons of location, symbolism, iconic stature, usage, crowd capacity or density of people.
Crowded places encompass a significant range of different locations, venues and businesses. They differ substantially in size and have different levels of risk to confront. For example, a large and complex shopping centre will have different security requirements than an occasional small street market or a large music concert. For this reason, the Crowded Places Security Audit does not attempt to provide a definitive list of all security matters that you must address for your location. It is important to remember that protective security measures should be proportionate to the level and type of threat.
This Audit document primarily aims to:
- Present a menu of security issues, some of which may be relevant to the type, size and risk profile of your crowded place; and
- Provide an impetus for you to address any security gaps in a proportionate manner.
It is important to remember that just because a security question has been asked in the Audit, and you have answered in the negative, this does not necessarily mean that your present security arrangements around that particular issue are defective.
Ideally, this Audit should be undertaken by those that have already completed the Crowded Place Self-Assessment. Owners and operators of crowded places with substantial protective security measures already in place will probably find that they have already considered the issues outlined in this Audit, along with additional issues specific to their location.
When selecting mitigations for security vulnerabilities, consider the results of the Crowded Places Self-Assessment you completed for your location. The self-assessment forms part of Australia’s Strategy to Protect Crowded Places from Terrorism, located at www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/CrowdedPlaces. It is important the selection of mitigations is informed by the degree of attractiveness as a terrorist target that attaches to your crowded place. You should avoid investing in unnecessary protective security measures and ensure the functionality of your location are preserved as far as reasonably possible, while reducing vulnerability and increasing safety…Click HERE to read full report.
