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Saturday, December 18, 2010

Security guard 'ashamed' of sex assault

A Coles security guard who pressured a young shoplifter into having sex with him said it was the most shameful act he had ever committed on another person, the County Court has heard.

Turkish national Onur Yildirim, 26, has pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual penetration of a 16-year-old child who was under his care, supervision and authority.

The court was told that on July 11, Yildirim was working at Coles in Knox City in Melbourne's east when he saw the girl take a bottle of body spray from the store without paying.

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He took her to the manager's office and told her that if he reported her to police it could ruin her life, but if she offered him sex he would not report her.

The girl told the court in an impact statement that by agreeing to his demands "I got myself out of that situation but then I got myself into a worse one".

CCTV footage of the incident shows Yildirim leading the girl to a disabled toilet in the shopping centre where they stayed for nine minutes while Yildirim penetrated her.

His crime came to light on the same day when the girl told a friend in a phone conversation what had happened and which was overheard by the friend's mother who then encouraged the victim to go to the police.

Yildirim's counsel Peter Chadwick, SC, said his client did not have a criminal past and had come to Australia looking for work with his electronics degree.

He described Yildirim's action as a lapse of judgment which had "catapulted him from a law-abiding, upright, fine member of the community to a prisoner".

In his statement to the court, Yildirim said he was very remorseful and left work early that day because he realised the enormity of what he had done and how shameful he felt.

Mr Chadwick said Yildirim had spent the past 151 days since he was arrested in protective custody in the Melbourne Remand Centre.

Mr Chadwick said that if he was sentenced to more than one year's jail he risked being deported to Turkey and away from his current partner.

Prosecutor Michelle Zammit said there had been a level of aggravated degradation involved with the girl forced to lie on the toilet floor and the sex carried out without a condom.

She said the girl had told him three times during the sexual assault that she didn't want to go ahead with it but he continued.

"That makes it more than just a lapse of concentration or a foolish slip," she said.

She told Judge Christine Thornton that a suitable penalty for the crime was in the six to eight year range.

The sentencing was adjourned to December 17.

Chanel 31 Interview - Security Personnel In Victoria

Please watch this video regarding security personnel in Victoria


Your views and opinions are important, so feel free to give me a call anytime on 9306 4552.

Regards,

Charlie Kobak

Friday, December 17, 2010

What are the control room operators watching?

Makes me wonder when MYER, a shopping complex that has thousands of shoppers visiting each day had there last Security Risk Assessment or when was the last time they reviewed there Security Risk Management Plan?

Myer, Melbourne


Wednesday, November 10, 2010

New Laws Targeting Knife Crime

The Victorian Government has introduced new laws to target knife crime.

New laws in force from 22 August 2010 mean police can search a person for knives in a public place anywhere, anytime, with and without notice.

From 22 August if you get caught carrying a controlled weapon such as a knife and you are 16 and over, you face an on-the-spot fine of $1000, or you may have to go to court and face
a fine of over $14,000, or one year imprisonment. These penalties are doubled if you are inside
or within 20 metres of a pub, club or bar.

From 1 January 2011, you will no longer be able to buy any type of knife, including kitchen
knives or knives for school or work, if you are under 18. To do so is against the law and you will face a $239 onthe- spot fine, or you could face court and a fine of over $1400. Anyone who knowingly sells a knife or other controlled weapon to a minor faces a fine of over $2300.

It is an offence to possess, carry or use a knife or other controlled weapon unless you have a lawful excuse. A lawful excuse can include carrying a knife for the purposes of your job or when participating in lawful sport, recreation or entertainment activities, for example when fishing.
Carrying a knife for the purposes of self-defence is not a lawful excuse.

Police will consider all the circumstances when deciding if someone has a lawful excuse for
carrying a knife or other controlled weapon.

The new laws will commence in stages. For more information see the ‘News and Information’ section of LSD’s website at: www.police.vic.gov.au/weapons

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Victoria Police Licensing Services Division’s Assessment and Determination Unit

Victoria Police Licensing Services Division’s Assessment and Determination Unit (ADU) is responsible for authorising security applications as well as issuing and renewing security licences.

The unit processes applications not only for the private security industry, but also for the firearms and weapons industries.

The number of transactions the team processes annually is very high. Each
year for example, the ADU processes:

• 15,000 security applications
• 42,000 permits to acquire a firearm
• 58,000 firearm applications
• 72,000 changes to firearm ownership

You can visit LSD’s office and get help from the ADU team over the front
counter. The office is open to the public from 8.30am to 4.30pm,
Monday to Friday. It is located at:

Level 4, Tower 3
Victoria Police Centre
637 Flinders Street
Melbourne 3005

You can call LSD on 1300 651 645 and speak to someone in the ADU team.

Alternatively, you can email LSD at: licensingservices@police.vic.gov.au

You can write to us at:
Licensing Services Division
GPO Pox 2807
Melbourne, Victoria 3001

Monday, November 8, 2010

Is the Security Company you work for Legit - Are You Legit??

Did you know?

You can now check to see if a particular security guard has a license and the details of the license by visiting Victoria Police - Private Security Licensing Services website on:


You can also check to see if the company you work for is a legitimate security company or a SCAM

Thursday, October 28, 2010

A safe teaching and learning environment is an absolute necessity and at Crownland Security we work with teachers, principals and students and their parents to provide the best possible protection against vandals and damage to school property and assets and enable the safest environment for all staff and students.

Two Victorian boys who bashed a schoolmate and left him in a coma could face charges over the attack, which was recorded by other students on their mobile phones, police say.


Investigators said the 15-year-old year 9 student was viciously beaten at Brauer College in Warrnambool on Friday by a pair of fellow students. The footage has possibly been circulated among other students.

Detective Senior Constable Colin Ryan said the suspected attackers, one from year 9 and another from year 7, had been interviewed and could face charges of recklessly causing serious injury and assault in company.

‘‘The two offenders approached the victim. There was pushing, punching and then he got struck to the head and fell down,’’ Detective Senior Constable Ryan said.

The boy did not suffer any injuries from his head hitting the ground.

He said the footage clearly identified the offenders and would be used as an exhibit in the case.

The two offenders had been interviewed but there were other witnesses who would be spoken to throughout the week, Detective Senior Constable Ryan said.

But he said there was little police could do to suppress the distribution of the footage.
‘‘It’s a modern day thing, isn’t it? It can be flashed around the world in five seconds. The fact that it’s in the phone network, we can’t do anything about it,’’ he said.

Paramedics who arrived at the school rushed the victim to hospital where he was admitted to the intensive care unit and placed in an induced coma.

Detective Senior Constable Ryan said it was initially feared that the victim had suffered serious head injuries.
"It was thought it could be very serious and involve bleeding on the brain. Scans were done and it was found the victim had suffered severe concussion," he said.

"The victim was placed in an induced coma on Friday afternoon. He came out of intensive care on Sunday and is in a general ward."

It is understood the student was discharged from hospital yesterday and is recovering at home.
The Warrnambool Standard reported the victim was new to the school this year and had been the victim of bullying.

But Brauer College principal Julie Myers defended her school’s handling of conflict among its students, saying bad behaviour was not tolerated at the school.

"It is extremely disappointing when the actions of a few reflect on a school of more than 1200 students," she said.

"As soon as we became aware of this matter, we contacted the relevant authorities, organised immediate medical attention and the respective parents were promptly notified.

"Two students have been suspended in relation to the incident. The matter is being investigated by police and we are continuing to co-operate.

"We are in constant touch with the boy’s family and continue to offer any required support."

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Bikies may have been involved in club bashing

After a 3 week security training course security personnel are posted, more often than not at the frontline of violent and unacceptable social behaviour. It can be a very dangerous job – even for the most experienced. This danger is exacerbated with the fact that security personnel are not given any more powers (legal) than that of the general public and as you will see in the below article, there is no respect or any regard for ‘life’.

Police are investigating whether bikies were involved in a Melbourne nightclub bashing that left five staff members in hospital.

Police say five men entered the premises of the King Street club in Melbourne’s CBD sometime after 6am (AEDT) but the group was asked to leave as the bar was closing.

A fight broke out and several of the employees were assaulted.
Advertisement: Story continues below ‘‘We’re talking with witnesses and trying to see if a bikie gang was involved,’’ a police spokeswoman told AAP.

Five people were treated in hospital with minor injuries varying from cuts and bruises to a broken jaw.

Police are urging anyone who saw the assaults to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit crimestoppers.com.au

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Training fails police, report says

A SECRET police report has exposed failed training methods that have left officers without the skills to defuse violent and potentially fatal confrontations.

The report avoids specific cases but clearly relates to tragedies such as the fatal shooting of teenager Tyler Cassidy in 2008.

It reveals that Victorian police were not properly taught how to "cordon and contain" an armed and violent person, when to call on specially trained officers for help and how to deal with the mentally ill.

The findings are likely to be examined at several coronial inquests into police shootings, including next week's inquest into the Tyler Cassidy shooting in December 2008.

The report has been released to the Federation of Community Legal Centres under freedom of information laws. Revelation of its contents follows several controversial incidents involving police use of Tasers and capsicum spray nationwide, including two cases in Victoria in which police were forced to defend using capsicum spray on a girl, 13, and a boy, 12, in separate incidents. Both teenagers were armed and aggressive.

The report, which Superintendent Mick Williams prepared in July last year, is being used as part of an overhaul of police training in Victoria.

In a list of damning findings, it criticises a "training void" that has left some inspectors, senior sergeants and sergeants "abrogating their responsibility'' by failing to take charge or ''effectively monitor'' incidents involving confrontations between police and violent people.

As recently as early 2009, police training had a "disproportionate focus" on the use of guns, batons and capsicum spray instead of conflict resolution and better communication, the report states. Before July 2009, "there was far too great an emphasis placed on firearms and other defensive tactics", Superintendent Williams found.

"In effect, there has been over a decade of policing in Victoria where operational police have not been exposed to the fundamentals underpinning police operational safety training,'' the report says.

"Although most of the research concerning the nature of training has been completed, there are still incomplete matters regarding the appropriateness of staff selection and instructors [who train police]."

The report also notes "lack of cohesion between middle-level management and [more senior staff]'' at the force's operational training facility.

Mr Williams's findings, made after his earlier review of recent police shootings, avoids specific cases but is relevant to the circumstances of some shootings.

The slightly-built Tyler Cassidy was allegedly distressed, aggressive, armed with two knives and taunting police to kill him when officers chased him into a park and sprayed him twice with capsicum spray.

Police shot him after he allegedly advanced on them.

A sergeant at a nearby police station had issued a "cordon and contain" order shortly before the shooting. The report says that until police training was revised in July last year, police often had a poor understanding of how a ''cordon and contain'' operation could buy time and defuse a confrontation.

"On the available evidence, it seems the term 'containment' has been taken literally by some members, which resulted in impulsive actions that 'box' in the subject. This is particularly evident when dealing with a vulnerable person in open space," the report found.

Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said force command backed Superintendent Williams's findings and that the revised training program included lessons on communicating, conflict resolution and identifying and managing vulnerable people.

"Police tell me they are far better equipped to deal with situations than they were before,'' Mr Walshe said.

''They believe that the training around verbal communication, the awareness package around mental health, has better prepared them.''

Mr Walshe also said the force had moved to address the report's finding that an "absence" of training had left some senior police unable to assume effective "command and control" of an incident.

Superintendent Williams's report says many supervisors ''have either not received refresher training or, for that matter, any command and control training at all''.

Yet another study shows CPR is better without mouth-to-mouth

Yet another study shows CPR is better without mouth-to-mouth - October 05, 2010

Yet another study has shown that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by lay people that does not include mouth-to-mouth breathing yields a better chance of survival for people who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital. But even with the technique, which improves the odds of survival by as much as 60%, a person's chances of survival are still "dismal," less than about 15%, Arizona researchers reported Tuesday. Among the reasons for poor survival are delays in getting resuscitation started, the unwillingness of lay people to use CPR, and lack of knowledge about how to do it.

There are many reasons why mouth-to-mouth may not be advisable for lay people, beyond the fact that many simply do not want to perform it. Among other things, there is a rapid deterioration of blood flow that occurs during even brief disruptions of chest pumping, the long ramp-up time for resumption of normal flow when compressions are begun again after a pause, the significant amount of time necessary to perform breathing and the critical importance of keeping blood flow to the brain going during a heart attack. Moreover, most heart attack victims gasp for air every 15 to 20 seconds, and that provides more oxygen than mouth-to-mouth, experts said.

About 300,000 Americans suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year. Survival rates are highly variable, but are consistently low.

In 2007, a Japanese study showed that compression-only CPR could nearly double the survival rate among patients who had a witnessed cardiac arrest. In July, two studies, one in Washington and one in Sweden, found similar results.

In 2005, health authorities in Arizona began a campaign to increase the use of CPR by bystanders, emphasizing the use of compression-only CPR for those who were reluctant to touch lips. In Tuesday's Journal of the American Medical Assn., Dr. Bentley J. Bobrow of the Arizona Department of Health Services and his colleagues reported results from that effort. The team analyzed data on 4,415 adults in the state who suffered out-of-hospital cardiac arrests between January 2005 and December 2009. Emergency responders were trained to determine whether a patient had been given CPR by a bystander and, if so, what form it took.

The team found that survival to hospital discharge occurred in only 5.2% of those who received no bystander CPR, 7.8% of those who received conventional CPR and 13.3% of those who received compression-only CPR. During the period, the proportion of cardiac arrest victims who received bystander CPR rose from 28.2% to 39.9%, presumable because of the public awareness campaign. Among those who received CPR, the proportion receiving compression-only CPR rose from 19.6% to 75.9%.

The American Heart Assn. and other groups now recommend that bystanders who do not wish to perform mouth-to-mouth be encouraged to give compression-only CPR. New guidelines for CPR are expected to be issued later this month and they will most likely give greater emphasis to compression-only CPR.

-- Thomas H. Maugh II / Los Angeles Times

Friday, September 10, 2010

Police to take back the streets - Good news for security

THOUSANDS of extra police will be deployed over the weekend as part of a trans-Tasman blitz on alcohol abuse and violence.

Senior police say it's time to curb a culture of excessive alcohol consumption which is costing Australia $36 billion a year.

"We've actually got to start saying no to excessive drinking, drunken violence and anti-social behaviour," NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said.

Officers in every state and territory, as well as in New Zealand, will take part in Operation Unite from Friday to Sunday, deliberately targeting licensed premises and known trouble spots, targeting drunks, criminal and anti-social behaviour. .

In Victoria tonight and tomorrow, hundreds of police will take to the streets of Melbourne’s CBD, as well as Moonee Ponds, Hawthorn, Prahran and St Kilda areas.

Transit police will be targeting alcohol-related offences on city trains and trams as well as major CBD stations.

Licensing police will be visiting bars, pubs and nightclubs to ensure patron safety, and the State Highway Patrol will be flooding roads to crack down on drink-driving and poor driver behaviour.

Chief Commissioner Simon Overland said Operation Unite aims to demonstrate the united resolve of police commissioners to change Australia and New Zealand’s culture of binge drinking in public places.

"This is the second time police have come together for a weekend of action on alcohol-related violence and behaviour and we are doing this to send a clear message – we have had enough," Mr Overland said.

"Police will not put up with drunken, anti-social behaviour and related violence. We are committed to tackling this issue and we are committed to tackling a culture that permits drunken behaviour.

"But we can’t do this alone – to make a change we need to act as a community.
"We all must take responsibility. Friends must take responsibility for the behaviour of their friends– family members must take responsibility for sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. And most importantly, individuals must take responsibility for their alcohol intake and behaviour.

"What we want is to create safe cities for everyone to enjoy at all times of day and night."

Victoria Police arrested almost 400 people for drunkenness as part of Operation Unite in December last year. Police visited 1563 licensed venues across the state and detected 83 liquor licensing offences, with 23 of those found in Melbourne. More than 110 people were issued with banning notices, excluding them from pubs and clubs in the designated CBD for 48 hours.

Marine police and highway patrol officers will also carry out additional breath tests.

But Australian police commissioners say communities need to play their own part in helping change Australia's entrenched binge-drinking culture.

"Certainly we're committed to tackling the effects of alcohol misuse but I've got to say, we can't do it alone," Mr Scipione told reporters.

"We're looking to the community to also make a stand and push for a change in culture and acceptable standards of behaviour in this area.
Mr Scipione pointed to a report published recently by the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation that says the total cost of alcohol misuse to Australian communities is $36 billion.

Part of that includes the cost to emergency service personnel.

Monday, September 6, 2010

When 18th birthday celebrations go bad

EIGHTEENTH birthday celebrations at an Irish pub turned ugly for a Townsville teenager after he was refused entry, threw punches at security guards and then fled - launching a city-wide manhunt.

The Townsville Bulletin reported Magistrate Ross Mack jokingly remarked, when sentencing Tyson Gregory Long-Southwood who pleaded guilty yesterday in the Townsville Magistrates Court to acting in a disorderly manner, that the teenager's next big milestone birthday would be one not to miss.

"Well Mr Gregory I cannot wait until your 21st celebrations," the magistrate said with a laugh after hearing of his 18th birthday escapades.

"That will be a real humdinger."

Police prosecutor Mark Fenlon told the court the birthday boy from Gumlow started striking out at security after he was refused entry into Irish Finnegans on High Range Rd on August 13 this year at 10.45pm.

"There was a verbal altercation with security guards, he acted aggressively and then wrestled violently with them."

The prosecutor said Long-Southwood ran into the nearby Sunland Plaza after police were called.

Townsville's tactical crime squad responded and launched a full scale patrol of the area after they obtained a description of the intoxicated offender from CCTV footage and pub staff.

"Police spotted the defendant shortly after on Riverway Dve in a vacant block hiding in long grass with other males," Mr Fenlon said.

However the defendant did not go quietly into custody - officers had to leave their patrol car and run after Long-Southwood and his friends.

"They yelled out 'Police, police don't move, get down on the ground' but the teenagers continued to run away," he said.

"The defendant was captured and restrained but could give no reason or excuse as to why he fled and was taken into custody at the watch house."

Duty lawyer Anna Farmer argued her client had turned 18 on the day he was arrested and was out celebrating at a licensed premises for the first time.

"He was drinking with friends and he helped put one in a taxi outside the pub but was refused back in," she said.

"He acted foolishly towards the guards, then panicked and ran when police got involved."

Ms Farmer said there was some confusion on her client's part, as the new pub-goer did not understand the rules of a licensed premises.

"But he now knows that security guards have the right to refuse people entry," she said.

Long-Southwood was given a six-month $450 good behaviour bond.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Nightclub fun ends in death

Punches caused nightclub death: court Melissa Iaria May 17, 2010 AAP

It was meant to be a night of fun. But in just 16 seconds, Adriyas Tello delivered two punches that led to Matthew McEvoy's death and him being charged with the 24-year-old's manslaughter.

Tello was celebrating his 21st birthday at Melbourne's QBH nightclub when he instigated the affray on September 7, 2008.

During the incident, captured on security footage, Tello punched Mr McEvoy twice, and his friends joined in, before one of them kicked Mr McEvoy in the head while he was on the ground.
Mr McEvoy was knocked unconscious, placed on life support and died the next night in hospital.
Tello, 22, who has pleaded guilty to Mr McEvoy's manslaughter, admitted to police he was "angry" and a "bit tipsy" when he punched him, saying he feared he would hurt his cousin.
Victorian Supreme Court Justice Paul Coghlan said the case showed how quickly tragedy could happen.

"They demonstrate how easily one very good young man can be killed out of a few moments of stupidity," he said.

Emotional victim impact statements were read during the pre-sentence hearing.

Mr McEvoy's father Peter McEvoy said he got a phone call on Father's Day to say his son was on life support.

"Seeing our beautiful big strong son lying on a bed with so many wires and tubes coming from his head was so traumatic and unbelievable it still haunts me to this day," he wrote.

He described being "shattered, hurt, bitter, angry and totally devastated".

"No one can tell me why my son, Matthew, was punched and kicked to death. I cry because I still expect Matthew to walk in from work every evening and then realise he is not coming home."

Mr McEvoy's mother said she was numb and heartbroken.

"There isn't a day goes by that I don't shed tears, not a minute goes by when I don't think of Matthew," Mariead McEvoy said.

"I have a constant lump in my throat.

"A night that was meant to be fun has ruined us all."

Mr McEvoy made no effort to defend himself during the unprovoked attacks, crown prosecutor Gary Hevey said.

He said there had been an earlier verbal argument between Mr McEvoy and one of Tello's friends before the fatal assault, but it ended peacefully.

Mr McEvoy's death was caused by the punches to his head or the kick he received from Ivan Issa while on the ground.

Tello's lawyer Bill Stuart said his client was deeply ashamed, regretful and devastated by the events.

Asking that he receive a lower-than-usual minimum term, Mr Stuart said Tello had pleaded guilty at an early stage.

He said the Iraq-born Tello was one of eight children and had a disadvantaged upbringing.
His family fled the Gulf war and lived abroad, living "hand to mouth" before arriving in Australia in 1998 with no English.

Tello's co-accused, Lauren Sako, who kicked Mr McEvoy in the assault, was jailed for a minimum of three years after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

Ivan Issa and Michael O'Brien each pleaded guilty to affray and received community-based orders.

Tello, of Roxburgh Park, was remanded in custody for sentencing on May 26.

Nightclub bouncer's foot almost chopped off

Brothers charged over nightclub attack - Melissa Iaria March 2, 2010- AAP

Two brothers who surrendered themselves to police after a nationwide hunt have appeared in court charged over a machete attack that almost severed a nightclub bouncer's foot.

The arrest of Cong Thanh Nguyen, 20, of Richmond, and Tam Thanh Nguyen, 23, of Keilor Downs, brings to seven the number of people charged over the November 22 attack on bouncer Ahmad Chokr outside Melbourne's Bubble nightclub.

The Nguyen brothers handed themselves in to police on Tuesday morning after a nationwide hunt was launched in December to track them down and warrants were issued for their arrest.
They made a brief appearance in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday. They did not apply for bail.

Prosecutors told the court that security camera footage from inside the nightclub and DNA analysis would be used to support their case.

The brothers are each charged with single counts of intentionally causing serious injury, recklessly causing serious injury, affray, assault with a weapon and three counts of assault.

Magistrate Peter Reardon remanded the pair in custody to face the same court.

Night club shooting

Man charged over nightclub shooting

Police have charged a man over a shooting outside a nightclub in Melbourne's north last week.
A 21-year-old man, from Roxburgh Park, handed himself in at the St Kilda Road police complex on Saturday after the incident, which occurred outside the Q Room club in Thomastown on Thursday.

Police said the man was charged with two counts of intentionally causing serious injury, two counts of recklessly causing serious injury and possessing an unregistered handgun.

The 25-year-old victim was allegedly shot in the hand and leg after an argument outside the club, which is located in an industrial area.

A male friend of the victim was struck by a car in which the alleged gunman was travelling, causing serious injuries to his lower leg, which had to be amputated.

Security eject patron who re-enters through the roof

A drunk man thrown out of a Queensland nightclub has made a dramatic re-entry through the roof, flattening patrons on the dance floor below.

The 20-year-old is in hospital after falling through the plasterboard ceiling onto the upstairs dance floor of Townsville's Mad Cow nightclub early on Sunday.

His antics left three other club-goers, two women and a man, injured, police said.

It is alleged the man climbed onto the roof of the Flinders Street East venue after security guards threw him out for being too drunk.

Ambulance officers were called to the scene and treated the injured before transporting them to hospital.

Police expect to interview the man today.

Who is Hakan Ayik?

In the first of a two-part series, Nick McKenzie looks at the target of one of Australia's biggest investigations into organised crime.

THERE comes a time when a police target senses he is under suspicion. For 32-year-old businessman and gym junkie Hakan Ayik, the realisation came over two years ago with a series of short, sharp beeps from his mobile phone while he was waiting for a flight at Sydney airport.

The beeping was a remote alarm alerting Ayik that he had some unwanted visitors at his Sydney apartment. His phone was connected to a surveillance system at the apartment, which had just began filming a small group of New South Wales police who, acting on a tip-off about the purchase of a money-counting machine, had decided to make some inquiries.

Ayik didn't waste any time in sending his own team of investigators to the scene - several bulky and tattooed members of the Comanchero outlaw motorcycle gang. Their appearance brought a premature end to the the police operation.

But authorities would soon find other ways to take a close look at Hakan Ayik, and before long he was a major target of one of the most significant investigations into organised crime in this country. Codenamed Hoffman, it has spent the last two years probing an entire drug dealing network whose tentacles reach throughout Australia, in the NSW police force and prison system, on the nation's docks, and overseas.

The inquiry- detailed on the ABC's Four Corners tonight - has been led by the Australian Crime Commission, but includes crucial contributions from the NSW and West Australian police, the Australian Federal Police, the NSW Crime Commission and the nation's anti-money laundering agency Austrac.

It is significant for several reasons: not only does it reveal with unprecedented clarity the extent of the threat posed by organised crime in Australia, but it highlights the difficulty authorities face in fighting a new breed of borderless criminals.

The old-school gangsters who stay in their local patch and deal only with family members or those who speak their own language are dying out. John Lawler, who heads the Australian Crime Commission, the elite body that fights organised crime, describes ''networked groups of organised criminals, across cultural divides, across national and international boundaries … absolutely focused on profit [and] power''.

Ayik's story is important because it opens a window into the changing battle against organised crime and the technologically savvy and highly mobile modern Australian underworld that is much harder to police and is capable of amassing great wealth with relative ease.

It only takes a quick internet search to realise that Ayik is a vain man. A few keystrokes and here he is, grinning and shirtless, draping his gym-sculpted arms over the shoulders of two lingerie-clad Asian women. A photo on a business networking site shows the graduate of Sydney's James Cook High School as an entrepreneur (and director of ''multi-capital trading''), wearing a white shirt, dark jacket, and sunglasses, one arm raised and a fist clenched in a pose of unbridled confidence.

Then there are the travel video clips, available only to Ayik's Facebook friends (a mere 300 or so of them), depicting him in Dubai, Turkey and Hong Kong, either enjoying a helicopter ride, watching the formula one grand prix or firing a semi-automatic pistol at a shooting range.

Perhaps the most telling video clip is the one that shows Ayik travelling to Hong Kong with Daux Ngukuru, the sergeant-at-arms of Sydney's notorious Comanchero bikie gang. Ayik has also posted a photograph of himself on this trip with Mark Ho, a Chinese gangster linked to the triads. Ho served a prison stint in Australia in 2001 for heroin trafficking before moving back to China.

As well as being a tribute to Ayik's self-regard, these online images demonstrate the breadth of the connections of those who operate in today's criminal underworld. Compare this to a decade ago when Australian bikies would have viewed a trip interstate as a major journey.

Having a relationship with the triads opens up a wide range of business possibilities, including access to the Chinese factories (legal or otherwise) that manufacture huge amounts of the precursor chemicals needed to make illicit drugs.

Former NSW Police assistant commissioner Clive Small says the increasing ease with which underworld figures conduct business offshore - where they are extremely difficult to monitor - shows ''how organised crime is maturing in Australia and how it's becoming an increasing threat that we have to deal with''.

In another Facebook clip Ayik features his $300,000 sports car and his jewel-encrusted watches. The soundtrack is by rap star Akon and is titled Trouble Maker. It includes the line: ''I'm that type of guy your daddy won't let you go out [with] cos he thinks I sell drugs …''
The first hint that the choice of this song was no coincidence came with a bump and a screech when a light plane landed on Perth's wind-swept Janadakot airport in March 2008. Waiting on the tarmac were several grim-faced local police detectives who were about to give the passengers from NSW a welcome they would never forget.

Several hours later, the plane's cargo - 22 kilograms of methamphetamine and about 35,000 ecstasy tablets - was on display at a press conference called by police to announce the arrest of the plane's two passengers. The bust was a record seizure for the state police, and it also raised questions about where the drugs had been sourced and by whom.

A later submission by the WA Police to the federal parliamentary committee that oversees the Australian Crime Commission was of the view that ''Perth's domestic security barriers rarely detect'' drug runners who do the bidding of ''authoritarian'' traffickers.

The statement was not without merit; authorities had confirmed that the light plane in question had made the journey several times before, presumably laden with a similar cargo. NSW authorities also discovered that one of the men arrested at the airport allegedly worked for Ayik.
After the bust, several policing agencies developed a strong interest in Hakan Ayik: police intelligence in NSW noted his unexplained wealth and the view that the Comancheros regarded him as a man who could enrich the club's coffers.

But investigating Ayik would not be easy, partly because of the frequency with which he moved interstate and overseas, effectively hopping from one police jurisdiction to the next and using an array of mobile phones as he went. Was there another way of keeping track of him?

Making money means moving money, be it to bank accounts in Australia or, as is often the case with crime figures, to accounts offshore. In other words, it means creating a trail that, with the right tools, can be followed.

As police interest in Ayik began to grow in 2008, the task of ''following the money'' was being carried out by the Australian Crime Commission, the relatively small but powerful agency formed in 2002 to co-ordinate the nation's often poorly managed fight against organised crime.
By mid 2008, the ACC was wrapping up a three-year operation that had uncovered at least 300 million narco-dollars being moved offshore, mainly by Vietnamese and Chinese drug syndicates, via four small money-remitting agencies in Sydney and Melbourne.

The ACC had employed its ''High Risk Funds Strategy''. This involves watching suspicious flows of money - moved via the formal and informal banking sector - to uncover the business structures that connect lower-end drug distributors to the higher-end, and mostly offshore-based, importers. The strategy also allows the ACC to reach a better estimate of the size of the nation's dirty-money trade, which, in turn, leads to better estimates of the size of the criminal economy.

A confidential federal government report based on the results of the High Risk Funds Strategy between 2005 and 2008 concluded that drug importations ''may have previously been underestimated by a significant margin'' and that ''most organised crime-related activities'' in Australia go undetected. In 2008, then then ACC boss, Alastair Milroy, revealed that by employing the strategy the ACC had tracked up to $12 billion in drug dollars flowing offshore every year.

Understanding exactly how Operation Hoffman operated is difficult, because much of the operation is still under wraps. But it is believed that critical to the probe was the formation of a policing coalition of the willing. If Ayik disregarded state and national boundaries (on one online posting, Ayik describes his location as Sydney, Hong Kong, China, Bangkok, and Seoul, South Korea) state and federal agencies needed to work together - no easy task, given the deep mistrust between certain policing agencies in Australia.

Under the quiet direction of the ACC, police across the country hatched a plan to dismantle parts of the alleged crime network linked to Ayik. Under this plan Ayik was seen as a sort of fixer who utilised his associates, be they Chinese criminals or bikies, to import and move drugs.

The plan's first public manifestation took place in May 2009, when the NSW police stormed an apartment in Kogarah in Sydney's south. They discovered five automatic pistols, a Thompson submachinegun, a Kalashnikov, a military issue automatic shotgun and three assault rifles. They also found explosives and what appeared to be police-issue bullet-resistant jackets, helmets and uniforms.

The media reported the discovery of the weapons stash as a development in the war between the Comancheros and the Hells Angels that earlier had led to a man being bashed to death at Sydney Airport. But there were other connections: the man arrested and charged with weapons offences in connection to the raid was Ayik's nephew.

Operation Hoffman reared its head again in September, this time on the Pacific island of Tonga, when Tongan and New Zealand police announced the discovery of 40 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine, or ice, during a raid on the home of a corrupt local customs officer. The local media described the drugs bust as Tonga's biggest ever and that the drugs had been bound for another country.

What was not revealed was Australian authorities suspected that Ayik had planned to import the drugs to this country. Exactly how he would do this is unclear. But it is believed that within his network is a host of maritime industry insiders capable of helping smuggle contraband past customs.

Operation Hoffman is just one of several major police probes in the past five years that has discovered serious corruption on the waterfront. For example, a federal police investigation into a massive shipment of ecstasy in 2008 discovered at least three figures working in the maritime sector in Melbourne who where aiding a major drug syndicate. NSW authorities believe a crew of dock workers in Sydney has facilitated drug importations for at least six years.

IN LATE 2009, the breadth of Ayik's connections was again revealed when NSW police charged one of their civilian employees - who had access to sensitive police intelligence detailing the work of several agencies, including those working on Operation Hoffman - with stealing files that were later leaked to Comanchero associates of Ayik.

NSW Police sources regard the leaks as one of the most serious alleged corruption cases in the past five years, partly because of the risk they posed to the safety of undercover police operatives.

Ayik's online postings reveal a man apparently unfazed by these arrests, planning his 31st birthday party in Hong Kong and posting a new photo on his Facebook profile - a shot of his muscular, gym-buffed chest.

In February this year, it was the turn of police in Western Australia, who arrested another of Ayik's contacts, the new president of Perth's Comancheros, Steven Milenkovski, over his alleged role in trafficking about seven kilograms of ice from NSW to Perth.

Two months later, NSW police raided drug labs in Sydney, seized 10 kilograms of ice and several weapons, and arrested four men, including two of Ayik's Facebook friends. By now, police had Ayik clearly marked as a key Australian figure in a crime syndicate that had imported, and was still capable of importing, large quantities of ice, heroin, ecstasy and amphetamines. The net was closing.

Three weeks ago, NSW police pulled over a car in central Sydney and seized 24 kilograms of heroin. Arrested were Ayik's brother and his business partner, another Chinese national. Crucially, NSW detectives believed they now had enough to charge Ayik. But he was nowhere to be found; his Facebook site shut down, his MySpace page became temporarily unavailable. Around a fortnight ago, NSW police finally issued an arrest warrant for Ayik for alleged drug trafficking. At the time of writing, Ayik was on the run.

The heroin bust in Sydney was the last in a long list of operations, including at least seven multimillion-dollar drug busts, that brought Operation Hoffman to an end. But those in law enforcement aware of its impact are not celebrating.

As a single operation, it is an extraordinary success, not least because it has extended the usual ''make a bust and move on'' mentality of traditional policing and harnessed the resources of several agencies to uncover an entire crime network. But it also provides a measure of the reach of a typical modern crime network and serves as a reminder that the demand for drugs in Australia is fuelling a thriving, multibillion-dollar illicit market, especially in amphetamines, ecstasy and cocaine.

In frank comments, Labor Senator Steve Hutchins, who chairs the ACC's parliamentary committee, tells Four Corners tonight that the fact that major drug busts have little impact on the supply and price of drugs should serve as a wake-up call for the nation.

He said that if all the drug hauls had no effect on supply and the street price, ''then clearly we are not winning that war [on drug trafficking].''

This view is backed by many experienced organised crime investigators, who say that Australian police remain the Davids in a battle against the drug importing and trafficking Goliaths.

''You'd have to be kidding yourself if you thought you were getting any more than probably 10 or 15 per cent [of drugs] off the street,'' says former detective inspector Jim O'Brien, who once headed Victoria's drug squad and the elite Victoria Police Purana Taskforce.

Privately, many senior police concede that in the nation's resource-constrained law enforcement environment, long-term multi-agency probes with the scope and reach of Hoffman remain exceptions to the rule. Among senior police across Australia, there is a consensus that the Australian Crime Commission is badly under-resourced given the challenges it faces.

Hakan Ayik's syndicate is just one of many similar outfits in Australia. Policing agencies in Sydney have recently updated a list of about 150 active, and often overlapping, crime figures they believe need targeting. And that is in NSW alone.

Four Corners, tonight, 8.30pm on ABC1.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Police arrest 17 nightclub drunks

SEVENTEEN drunken partygoers were arrested in Ballarat's nightclub precinct at the weekend, in what the city's police have hailed as another successful visit from the Operations Response Unit.

It was the fourth Ballarat deployment of the newly formed unit, a roving taskforce created to help local police across Victoria to crack down on alcohol-fuelled street crime and violence by saturating city streets. About 20 ORU members worked alongside Ballarat members between 9pm and 5am on Friday and Saturday nights, targeting traffic offences as well as public order.

In addition to the 17 people arrested for public drunkenness, 10 revellers were issued with banning notices, which prohibited them from entering the central business district for 24 hours.

A further 25 infringement notices were issued for public order offences, 15 for traffic matters and five for liquor licensing infringements.

Ballarat police Sergeant Stuart Gale said the saturation style of policing had a "positive effect''.

Last time the ORU visited Ballarat, in late March, 12 extra officers _ nearly half the number that flooded city streets at the weekend just passed _ helped contribute to the arrest of 48 drunks.

Sgt Gale said he could not comment on why a larger contingent of officers this time resulted in fewer arrests or what other factors might have contributed.

Another Ballarat police Sergeant, Darren Prentice, said local police working alongside the ORU was having an impact.

"The highly visible police presence allows us to put more members on the street to help deal with those who think they can continue to ignore our laws and cause harm in their community,'' he said. "The unit is doing exactly what it's meant to be doing and is proving to be a great additional resource local members can use when needed.''

Sgt Prentice said the ORU would continue to come to Ballarat without warning in the ongoing effort to stamp out anti-social behaviour.

"This is the fourth time the ORU has come up to Ballarat and it won't be the last,'' he said.

"We are not only committed to reducing crime in Ballarat, but we are also committed to restoring community confidence."

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Raving Security Guard (Unprofessional)

She's been dubbed Rave Security Guard because she dances on duty to the delight of the Sydney ravers she's guarding.

But should officials ever lighten up when they're working?

One of RSG's employers, I-SEC, was definitely not amused about her antics and is not using her services any more But another - Brett Arrowsmith, from Corporate Venue & Event Management (CVEM) - said unequivocally: "I'll have her, she's got a lot of initiative."

The middle-aged guard's identity is not known but she became a hit after "throwing shapes" on duty at November's Harbourlife festival.

She was filmed a week later at the stereosonic festival, her gyrations smashing the stereotype of the stern, humourless and arms-folded security guard.

Music journalist Ashley Chang was the first to film her.

"I got my camera out because she was so unashamedly into the music," said Chang, editor of pop culture site pedestrian.tv.

He'd seen guards dancing before, but nothing like Rave Security Guard.

When Chang posted the videos online, a flood of responses indicated the woman's dancing was not a one-off.

Some told him they had seen her in action before.

He was sent the video of her at Harbourlife, and what looks to be the same woman, although off-duty, at Field Day on New Year's Day.

"I think there's definitely some folklore [about her] among festivalgoers and club-goers," he said.

Brett Arrowsmith, of CVEM, which operates at Acer Arena, ANZ Stadium, concerts and races, said: "I think it's great what the girl is doing there. I promote that sort of thing."

Building rapport with crowds was a fundamental part of a security guard's job, he said.

"I think she's using all her skills to entertain them, get on their side, and by the looks of everyone's faces, it's working," he said.

"The client might look at it differently and say: 'If you want to enjoy the event, buy a ticket'."

Mr Chang agreed: "At security festivals you're dealing with a lot of intoxicated people, an unpredictable environment - so it's important to be affable. People are more willing to take directions from someone affable."

Mr Arrowsmith felt the security industry had been weighed down by unreasonable expectations of professionalism - the kind of expectations that insisted guards remain stern, not sit down, not chew gum, and stand still for hours on end.

"It's the big personalities we need in this industry. We don't need cardboard cut-outs standing there with their arms folded."

Better security companies looked to include the sort of techniques as that of the dancing guard into their own procedures, he said.

"But it takes a big personality - not everyone is cut out to put a performance on."
Mr Chang believed the woman's colleagues were aware of her passionate dancing, and believed the company too was OK with it.

The day he filmed her dancing at stereosonic, he saw a man who looked to be her manager speak with her.

“As he wrapped it up, she started dancing again, and he didn't seem to mind.

"I think she's got a lot of experience - for the amount of festivals she's been at, I'm sure she's good at her job. I definitely don't think its a problem for management."

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Security guard shot dead in Sydney

The colleagues of a security guard who died after being shot during an ambush in Sydney's CBD say his death has shocked them.

A 59-year-old Chubb guard from Sutherland Shire died after being shot in the chest during a confrontation with four masked men about 6:00am AEST today.

He and two colleagues had been making a cash delivery to a hotel complex near the corner of Sussex and Market Streets.

He was taken to RPA Hospital in Camperdown in a critical condition, but later died.

It is not yet known if the guard's two workmates returned fire.

Contrary to earlier reports, it has been confirmed that the thieves did get away with cash and one of the guards' guns.

It is not known if any money was stolen but a guard's handgun was taken.



In a statement, Chubb Security Services managing director Maurice Carr said staff at the company were in mourning.

"This attack has affected us all in a very personal way," he said.

"We feel the loss of our colleague deeply and our thoughts are with his family."

Detective Acting Superintendent Greg Antonjuk it is unclear whether it was a planned ambush.

"It's very early in the investigation and as everyone knows, these security vans operate across the Sydney Metropolitan Area," he said.

"So as to what happened leading up to it we won't comment at this time."

Police are now reviewing CCTV footage of the incident.

They are looking for a silver Audi used in the ambush

Monday, August 2, 2010

Security guard in court over fatal robbery attempt

A security guard, accused of being involved in a bungled armed robbery that left a man dead on Sydney's Northern Beaches last month, has not applied for bail.

Nathan Brodbeck was shot dead as he attempted to rob three security guards leaving Dee Why RSL club with a large amount of cash.

Franjo Vlado Santalab, 32, was charged with being an accessory before the fact, after he was admitted to St George Hospital last week for drug-related matters.

He appeared via video link in Central Local Court where bail was formally denied.
He is due to face court again on September 28

A message to security user (clients): Choose your security company carefully.
Our security personnel undergo a stringent criminal history check and character reference check.

Call us today! 9306 4552

Friday, July 30, 2010

Security guards to control crowds and prevent egg-nappers

CHOCOLATE shops are cracking down on swarms of sweet tooths by increasing store security.

Last-minute Easter egg hunters, desperate for a taste of all things dark and sweet, are storming stores across the city.

Some upmarket stores have been so busy that they are using security guards to control crowds and prevent cocoa criminals.

Others are opting for extra cash drops.

Lunchtime shoppers were seen squeezing into city stores to pick up their Easter egg orders on Thursday.

A spokeswoman from renowned chocolatier Haigh's Chocolates said they had several security guards on duty to deal with theft and to control traffic.

"I think in retail there's always a concern about busier times and the security guards are there to help us prevent theft," she said.

Koko Black in the Royal Arcade has plenty to guard with a $130 chocolate egg for sale. Its city store is also taking extra security steps.

"We are doing extra cash drops," a store spokeswoman said.

She said a security guard was on hand from the Royal Arcade to control the crowd if necessary.

MCG spy camera blitz on cricket fans

FOOTAGE of unruly spectators will be beamed straight to security staff in a hi-tech assault on MCG cricket fans.

Crowd controllers will eventually use iPhones and iPads to help identify and evict drunk, abusive or obnoxious louts under the innovative scheme.

More than $3 million will be spent over five years on the internet-based CCTV.
Rowdy Aussie and English cricket fans at this year's Ashes series will be under the eye of razor-sharp digital technology that will enable monitoring teams to alert security staff to their exact location.

Rolling over the MCG's analogue CCTV system to the digital format has become a priority ahead of the boisterous support from England and Australian fans expected for the Boxing Day Test.

Almost 20 per cent of the stadium's old cameras have already been replaced.
The iPhone component will come later - but at least 15 devices could be in use by security staff during the cricket series.

Facilities general manager Peter Wearne said it was a cutting-edge push into the future of stadium surveillance.

"The main benefit will be the clarity of the CCTV pictures and the ability to play back and look at incidents while still recording," Mr Wearne said.

"We'll be able to zoom in on a patron and send the image to the closest security person."

He said one of the biggest issues in the past had been describing a culprit's appearance and his location to a security officer using just a two-way radio.

"The analogue surveillance system in place had a number of shortfalls, which really prompted the move to digital," Mr Wearne said.

But he said management were still in talks over how the iPhone component would be managed.

Facial recognition technology is also on the cards as IT staff push security methods that are considered to be ahead of some of the world's greatest sports stadiums.

"I don't think the technology (for facial recognition) is quite there yet, but in years to come this system could cope with that software," Mr Wearne said.

He said the concept would complement the text service that already allows punters to send an SMS to alert staff to specific situations

Friday, July 23, 2010

Security firms flouting laws

SECURITY industry employers are regularly flouting workplace laws, according to a national audit that found nearly one in two security bosses was not complying with the Fair Work Act.

The Fair Work Ombudsman's audit of 256 employers found 60 had underpaid staff, while 66 breached rules over pay slips and record keeping.

In Victoria, half of the 26 companies audited had breached workplace laws, with the Ombudsman focusing on firms that provided crowd control and mobile patrol services.

SECURITY industry employers are regularly flouting workplace laws, according to a national audit that found nearly one in two security bosses was not complying with the Fair Work Act.

The Fair Work Ombudsman's audit of 256 employers found 60 had underpaid staff, while 66 breached rules over pay slips and record keeping.

In Victoria, half of the 26 companies audited had breached workplace laws, with the Ombudsman focusing on firms that provided crowd control and mobile patrol services.

Ombudsman executive director Michael Campbell said the results were disturbing. He said the Ombudsman would seek to recover about $453,000 for 652 workers who were underpaid across Australia.

The security industry has a poor reputation, with high staff turnover, low pay and difficult working conditions.

Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union state secretary Jess Walsh welcomed the Ombudsman's report and said the results were ''the tip of the iceberg''. ''Our members have been concerned about dodgy contractors in the industry for a long time,'' she said.

Ms Walsh said security guards were often paid a flat rate that did not provide for penalties and allowances to which they were entitled.

She said standards had risen among the big four employers in the industry after an agreement with the union.

But among medium-sized and smaller contractors the problems were widespread.
Mr Campbell said employer groups, unions and large companies needed to help change behaviour in the industry. He said it was ''disappointing to find just 51 per cent of employers meeting their lawful obligations".

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Retailers worried about knife ban

NEW laws banning the sale of knives to minors in Victoria are expected to be introduced within weeks but retailers say the state government has bungled the rollout, leaving them struggling to cope with their new responsibilities.

The reform - which extends to stopping the sale of plastic knives to under 18s - follows a spike in knife crime, with robberies at knifepoint soaring almost 50 per cent in Victoria during the past five years. Possession of knives and other weapons was up 25 per cent in the same period

The state government flagged the bans in March when it also announced police would get new powers to fine people carrying knives $1000 on the spot and wield broader search powers.

Thousands of retailers who sell knives will be affected by the new laws, under which any minor caught trying to buy a knife will face an on-the-spot fine of $234, or $1400 if the matter is serious and taken to court.

Anyone caught selling to a minor could be fined more than $2300.

Last month the lower house passed the legislation, which still allows anyone to carry a knife with a lawful excuse, and it is currently before the upper house.

That house sits again next week and, with the state government pushing its law and order agenda hard and the opposition having expressed its support, the law could be passed within a fortnight

caught selling to a minor could be fined more than $2300.

Last month the lower house passed the legislation, which still allows anyone to carry a knife with a lawful excuse, and it is currently before the upper house.

That house sits again next week and, with the state government pushing its law and order agenda hard and the opposition having expressed its support, the law could be passed within a fortnight.

But this has upset some retailers, who say the speed of the introduction and lack of consultation mean it will be difficult to cope with the reform.

Coles, which sells kitchen and cutlery knives in its supermarkets across the state, said the rapid introduction would make it difficult to train staff to ask for identification and promote the ban in-store before it was rolled out.

''We support the intent of the legislation but we have concerns about the pace of implementation,'' spokesman Robert Hadler said. ''This is because of the training and in-store advertising activity that would be required for effective implementation of the ban.''

caught selling to a minor could be fined more than $2300.

Last month the lower house passed the legislation, which still allows anyone to carry a knife with a lawful excuse, and it is currently before the upper house.

That house sits again next week and, with the state government pushing its law and order agenda hard and the opposition having expressed its support, the law could be passed within a fortnight.

But this has upset some retailers, who say the speed of the introduction and lack of consultation mean it will be difficult to cope with the reform.

Coles, which sells kitchen and cutlery knives in its supermarkets across the state, said the rapid introduction would make it difficult to train staff to ask for identification and promote the ban in-store before it was rolled out.

''We support the intent of the legislation but we have concerns about the pace of implementation,'' spokesman Robert Hadler said. ''This is because of the training and in-store advertising activity that would be required for effective implementation of the ban.''

The speed of this rollout contrasts with the state government's move to ban cigarettes being displayed in retail outlets, which was announced in December 2008 but will not be enforced until 2011 to allow retailers to prepare for the change.

Leading kitchenware company Chef's Hat, which sells knives to wholesale and retail customers online and through its South Melbourne store, said there had been no consultation with government about the ban.

General manager David Sawicki said he thought the ban was still in the proposal stage and he was worried his staff might inadvertently breach the new laws because of the lack of clear information and guidelines explaining a retailer's responsibilities.

''I was under the impression that kitchen and cooking knives would be exempt,'' he said.

''We don't know who the onus falls onto [retailer or customer], whether we need to check identification, what identification is acceptable and what the penalties are for selling a knife to someone under-age

''We also don't know what actually falls into the category of knives, as there are dozens of different utensils that can or cannot be classified as a knife but couldn't be used as a weapon,'' Mr Sawicki said


Crownland Security: 9306 4552 www.crownlandsecurity.com.au

Victorian teens go on $6000 shoplifting spree on school trip to New Zealand

A group of Victorian teenagers on a school trip to New Zealand stole $6000 of merchandise during a four-hour shoplifting spree in Queenstown at the weekend.

The group of 16 boys, aged between 14 and 16, narrowly avoided arrest and prosecution for youth offending, police said yesterday.

Constable Dave Felstead, of Queenstown, said the group, from a school in Victoria, stole clothes and souvenirs from central business district stores, including Outside Sports and R&R Sport, between 2pm and 6pm on Saturday

However, police did not find out until yesterday because teachers decided to take matters into their hands and return the property.

The goods were returned but it would have been easier if teachers had told police as soon as they knew, Mr Felstead said.

Police were unaware a series of town centre shoplifting reports were linked until an officer met a teacher who was returning some stolen goods, he said.

There have been previous incidents of young Australians shoplifting in Queenstown and all 16 youths were given warnings.

Passport numbers were recorded in case any of them get into trouble on future trips here.

The school intended to deal with the group "severely", and businesses would receive letters of apology, Mr Felstead said.

The spree probably started with one or two youths shoplifting, before others joined in, he said.

Their stupidity was frustrating because it wasted police time but by the time teachers and police caught up with the teens "they were a very sad and sombre bunch".

The disgraced group flew back to Australia yesterday.

In 2006, two girls from an exclusive Australian private school were caught shoplifting in Queenstown and dissolved in tears when the possibility of charges was raised.

The girls, part of a 36-strong group from Ipswich Girls' Grammar in Queensland, stole expensive clothes and cosmetics from at least five retailers

Crownalnd Security: Retail Loss Prevention Services, Crowd Control, Static Security Guard, Mobile Patrols, Cash In Transit and more...

03 9306 4552
www.crownlandsecurity.com.au

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Taskforce RAZON

Taskforce RAZON, the State-wide Liquor Licensing Taskforce, continues to identify issues related to crowd controllers at licensed venues. RAZON police members work currently as well as covertly in plain clothes and therefore detect issues that are not identified by uniformed police. Some issues are of great concern to police and should be addressed by crowd controller providers.

The most common issues are:
• Failure to record incidents that have occurred at the premises in the Crowd Controller Register;
• Failure to wear a Crowd Controller number tag
• Venues not having the required number of crowd controllers, as per the conditions on their liquor licences
• Crowd controllers who have not been briefed by the venue management or their employer on either crowd control policies or emergency provisions such as evacuation and fire emergency procedures

Other issues include:
• Unlicensed crowd controllers who have been supplied to venues by crowd control providers
• Disqualified crowd controllers continuing to perform quasi crowd controller/supervisor functions in and around premises.
• Crowd controllers not exercising sufficient control over patron queues and smokers on footpaths, allowing interference to passers-by and excessive noise.
• A wide variation in the standards of conduct of crowd controllers manning the doors of venues, from the very courteous to the belligerent and abusive.
• Other Crowd Control Register irregularities including
• Name and address of the provider not entered
• Failure to sign on and off
• Other people signing crowd controllers off
• Older style registers that do not have provision for crowd controllers to sign off (This can be rectified by ruling the sign-on column in half)


Contact Crownland Security 0n 9306 4552 for further information or fo a no obligation consultation on your current and future security needs.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Security Business Audits

LSD’s Compliance Enforcement Unit (‘CEU’) works to identify areas where security businesses are struggling to meet legal requirements and assist these businesses to better understand their responsibilities and comply with the legislation.

The CEU routinely conducts security business audits. Sometimes businesses will be informed of the Unit’s intention to conduct an audit, sometimes they will not. These audits often check the:

  • Certificate a business has been issued with under the Business Names Act 1962;
  • Certificates of Public Liability;
  • Detailed records that businesses are required to keep of their clients and services provided (as per Section 134 and Regulation 55 of the Private
  • Security Act 2004 and associated regulations);
  • Standard Operating Procedures of a business for accuracy and relevancy to the business conducted;
  • Systems in place to ensure the currency of employees’ licences;
    List of employees to assist LSD in notifying individuals of the suspension or cancellation of their licences;
  • Nominated person is approved and their details have been supplied to LSD.

The most frequent problems the CEU encounters are that businesses:

  • Do not display their License/ Registration certificates where they can be easily seen; and
  • Have not updated their standard operating procedures.

On the whole however, businesses do a good job of storing and handling firearms in a safe and secure way.

The CEU would like to remind businesses to:

• Know the legislation that governs their business;
• Keep up to date with legislative changes;
• Keep LSD informed of employee changes;
• Review procedures particularly when seeking to renew your licence;
• Ask LSD questions and seek answers – the web site, LSD newsletters and LSD customer service centre are all available for this purpose.

For more information regarding security business audits emai: licensingservices@police.vic.gov.au

Please mark your email for the attention of the CEU.

Licence Renewals Set to be Refused, Have you completed all your training?

Licensing Services Division (LSD) is undertaking an audit of its database to identify those licence holders who may not have completed all the required training competencies for the Certificate II in Security Operations.

The number of outstanding competencies may vary depending on the number of units undertaken and the activities applied for. There are also a number of reasons why
individual licence holders may not have completed all of the training requirements. These include cases where training organisations deferred competencies, and where applicants received a licence after completing the necessary entry-level training, but failed to complete the remaining training (as stipulated by the conditions of their licence) within the following 12 months.

In October 2009, LSD notified a significant number of licence holders who had not completed all the training requirements. In this letter, LSD advised these licence holders to complete this training prior to renewal or their renewal application would be refused. Approximately half of those licence holders complied.

LSD recently identified a further group of licence holders who have not completed all the training requirements. These licence holders have also been sent a letter informing them of this fact, and advising them to complete the required training prior to renewal or face having their renewal application refused. An extension of time to complete the required training will not be given.

LSD requests that Business Licence holders communicate this message to all of their employees. Assistance in this process is important to ensure that private security businesses are not adversely affected by a reduced number of staff legally qualified to perform routine business activities.


Contact Crownalnd Security to secure your enrolment into the Certificate II in Security Operations (Crowd Control & Unarmed Guard) 03 93064552

Friday, July 9, 2010

Security & First Aid Training - Minimum requirment for security licensing

CPP20207 - Certificate II in Security Operations
Crowd Control / Unarmed Guard) Licensing


General Overview
A Certificate II in Security Operations is the minimum requirement to successfully obtain a combined entry level licensing for crowd control and security guard. At the same time it is the required course to upgrade your current level of training to the new CPP07 Property Services Training Package. The certificate is based on a national training package and is designed to provide credentials to fulfil the career path needs of a security officer.

What employment opportunities will students have?
The Certificate II in Security Operations provides the skills and knowledge necessary to apply for a security license to work in the following areas:
• Aviation
• Hotels
• Casino's
• Major events
• Nightclubs
• Monitoring
• Cash-in-transit
• Guarding

Course Duration
The course will consist of 16 days full-time attendance during the day or 32 nights attendance in the evenings. Day classes commence from 9am till 5.00pm and Evening classes commence from 6.00pm till 10.00pm. Instructors are all recognised with several years of industry expertise holding relevant security experience, training and secondary teaching qualifications.

What will students study?
• CPPSEC1003A Apply Security Procedures for the responsible service of Alcohol
• CPPSEC2001A Communicate effectively in the security industry
• CPPSEC2002A Follow Workplace safety procedures security Industry
• CPPSEC2003A Work Effectively in the Security Industry
• CPPSEC2004A Respond to security risk situations
• CPPSEC2005A Work as Part of a Security team
• CPPSEC2006A Provide Security services to client
• CPPSEC2010A Protect safety of persons
• CPPSEC2011A Control Access to and exit from Premises
• CPPSEC2012A Monitor and control individual and crowd behaviour
• CPPSEC2014A Operate basic security equipment
• CPPSEC2015A Patrol Premises
• CPPSEC2017A Protect self and others using basic defensive tactics
• CPPSEC3002A Manage conflict through negotiation
• CPPSEC3005A Prepare and Present security documentation and reports
• CPPSEC3013A Control persons using empty hand techniques
• CPPSEC3017A Plan and conduct evacuations of premises
• HLTFA301B Apply First Aid
• TLIE707B Use Communication systems

How much will the course cost?
The course will cost $950.00 consisting of a minimum deposit of $150.00 prior to course commencement for securing your enrolment position.

Call 03 9306 4552 to reserve your enrolment today!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Police face strict fitness tests - So should all security personnel

THE slow and tragic descent from fit young police recruit to wheezing old copper will soon be relegated to history with the introduction of career-long fitness standards for all new police.

For the first time, police will have to maintain a standard of fitness throughout their career if they are to stay on the front line.

But police who have survived on a diet of doughnuts and dim sims will not be heading to the unemployment queue just yet. The fitness testing begins with all new recruits from this month.

I think all security personnel regardless of the security function they're employed to undertake should have a minimum level of physical fitness and mental discipline. Security personnel are often confronted with unexpected challenging situations and more often than not, they don’t have the same level of support (backup) as police officers.

Inspector Dan Trimble from the People Department said police recruited from this month would have to pass twice-yearly fitness tests as part of their Operational Skills and Tactics Training (OSTT) courses for the rest of their careers.
"It's important to remember that our community expects their emergency service personnel to have adequate fitness levels to allow them to perform their duties effectively," he said.

Mandatory physical standards for recruits - which have been allowed to slide in recent years - have also been re-introduced.

One standard test will replace the gender and age-related standards introduced to encourage more female and mature-age applicants.

Previous chief commissioner Christine Nixon ordered the 1.6-metre obstacle wall that recruits had to scale be removed from the academy because it was seen as gender discriminatory. It has now been replaced by a 1.3-metre vaulting horse.

Inspector Trimble said the levels required were not onerous and in line with general community standards. ''I think it is fair for someone who has their handbag snatched to expect that police will be fit enough to give chase,'' he said. ''They may not be able to catch them but at least they can chase.''

He said the fitness standards would promote a healthy workforce. ''We want our people to be able to enjoy both life and work.''

The new tests include the Illinois agility run, a ''beep test'' to level 6.10, five push-ups, prone bridge, clearing an obstacle and, for recruits, a 100-metre swim of any stroke.

''We need them to swim to a basic level so if they fall in a river they can get out and they can rescue a child that has fallen into a pool,'' Inspector Trimble said.

Another test will be grip strength to ensure police have the power to pull a trigger, use handcuffs and grab a suspect.

Veteran police who have taken to eating ribs until they can't see their own will be encouraged to take the fitness test during OSTT courses.

If they fail they will be given programs to improve.

However, new police who allow themselves to slide to the point where they fail the test at any point in their careers must improve or risk losing their position.

The full police leadership team - including Chief Commissioner Simon Overland - is scheduled to take the test next month.

Mr Overland won several medals for indoor rowing at the police games held earlier this year.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/thinner-blue-line-police-face-strict-fitness-tests-20100706-zz1q.html

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Securing our venues - a move in the right direction!

Nightkey system being tested, patrons wishing to enter the Coogee Bay Hotel after 9pm are allowed in only if they submit photo identification, which includes their address, for scanning. A video of the patron is recorded and a ''finger pin'' scan taken.

Call us today for a FREE no obligation assessment and quotation for your current and future security needs: 9306 4552 or email enquiries@crownlandsecurity.com.au

Protecting Gulia Gillard PM

The former head of the Iraqi Secret Service, he has protected every Iraqi head of state since Saddam Hussein was overthrown in 2003. He said the open nature of the Melbourne house and lack of security features such as security cameras and sensors would make it a headache for her federal police detail.

The Lodge's security cameras, biometric security, high fences and shatter-proof windows - it even has a safe room - would make her security sleep better at night, he said.

Ms Gillard is expected to be briefed by a team of federal police officers in coming days, a spokeswoman confirmed.

Call us today for a FREE no obligation assessment and quotation for your current and future security needs: 9306 4552 or email enquiries@crownlandsecurity.com.au

Third Melbourne school falls victim to suspected arson attack

A third Melbourne school has been targeted in a suspected arson attack in less than a week, with four portable classrooms at a secondary school in Melbourne's outer east destroyed in a suspicious blaze last night.

Country Fire Authority crews were called to Kambrya College in Bemersyde Drive, Berwick about 9.45pm last night to find two general classrooms and two science rooms burning out of control.

CFA spokeswoman Andrea Brown said the fire, which was attended by 14 fire trucks and caused up to $1 million damage, tore through four portable classrooms in the science wing of the school, which stands apart from the main school buildings.

Crownland Security's Mobile Patrol Units patrol within a 15km radius thus maximising on the number of inspections per client (per site) and minimising the opportunity for would be arsonists.

Call us today for a FREE no obligation assessment and quotation for your current and future security needs: 9306 4552 or email enquiries@crownlandsecurity.com.au