Scentre Group Bolstering Security Across 42 Shopping Centres.
Scentre Group Bolstering Security – Scentre Group will bolster security across its 42 Westfield shopping centres after a knife attack killed 6 and injured 8 at Westfield Bondi Junction.
Scentre Group’s chief executive Elliot Rusanow said new security measures were being rolled across its ANZ shopping centres and included additional security staff. Westfield Bondi Junction already had strategies in place to respond to such attacks, including staff and customers taking shelter in shuttered stores, and these strategies likely saved lives.
“Our decision to increase security across the portfolio and provide financial support to our business partners following the tragedy at Westfield Bondi Junction will result in an increase in operating expenses in 2024,” Rusanow said.
“We are pleased that the NSW Premier Chris Minns has announced a review into a whole raft of things. We welcome that conversation, with the view of how we avoid these acts of violence unprovoked on innocent people ever happening again.”
Scentre Group Bolstering Security
NSW Government announced a review of personal protective equipment for security officers in the days after the attack, which killed 6, including security officer, Fazaz Tahir, and wounded 8, including security officer, Muhammad Taha.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has ruled out allowing security officers with stun guns or firearms but said the NSW government would consider other measures. These might include batons or immobilising sprays. In an importantly development, security officers at Westfield are now wearing protective stab-proof vests and their calls for these vests to be more widely available.
Since the attack there have also been widespread calls from providers to ensure security officers are trained to handle attacks with edged weapons. It’s also likely that video analytics will be leveraged in some applications to provide additional warning for response teams using CCTV solutions that are already in place.
You can keep an eye out for more information about the PPE review for security officers here or read more SEN news here.
“Scentre Group Bolstering Security Across 42 Shopping Centres.”
