NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson tells royal commission cops were at ‘significant’ risk at Bondi

A senior counter-terrorism officer says police were placed at a “significant risk” responding to the Bondi Beach terrorism attack, going up against long-arm rifles with 9mm handguns. Fifteen people were killed and dozens injured when they were gunned down in the attack at a Chanukah by the Sea event on December 14. Naveed Akram, 24, has been charged with 59 offences after allegedly participating in the ISIS-inspired terrorist attack. His father Sajid Akram, 50, was killed by police at the scene. NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson on Wednesday told the Royal Commission on Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion that officers responding to the attack were placed in danger by not having long-arm guns. “On (December 14), our police officers were placed at significant risk (with) gunfight armed with 9mm glocks against long arms,” he said. He added that NSW Police and the police union had requested greater access to long arms in the lead-up to the attack. “There has been, on behalf of officers within the NSW Police Force, representations made by the Police Association of NSW in relation to glock capability increases, (which can) better protect their officers and their members,” he said. “The availability of long arms on a more frequent basis is certainly a response to that, and (it also encompasses) better protection of the community, so it’s twofold.” NSW police last year carried long-armed weapons at New Year’s celebrations for the first time in an attempt to strengthen public safety following the terrorist attack. Mr Hudson also told the commission that NSW Police had not sought any additional funding between October 7 – when Hamas attacked Israel – and December 14, the day of the Bondi attack, because the resources were deemed sufficient. “It wasn’t considered that counter-terrorism command needed additional resources … it was supplemented by Operation Shelter,” he said. “When the (terror) threat level was downgraded, we didn’t reduce our capability, and subsequently, when it was increased, we didn’t have a need for additional resources because we hadn’t downgraded the counter-terrorism command with that downgraded threat level.” Operation Shelter was launched in October 2023 in response to rising social tensions across Sydney to manage public safety and protests. Mr Hudson was also asked about the force’s relationship not only with the Jewish community but with Jewish security group CSG. Counsel assisting Richard Lancaster said Mr Hudson had referenced in his statement that police would have “considerable reservations” about granting additional powers or privileges to Jewish security group CSG in respect of law enforcement. “So, I think isolating a particular group for additional powers within our community is problematic,” he said. “It creates a disconnect between groups, can cause friction between groups if one particular element of society is afforded privileges but others aren’t.” New system for processing firearms applications NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Kirsty Heyward also took the stand on Wednesday, telling the commission the firearms registry would adopt a trial for a ‘cradle-to-grave’ system for firearms application processes. This would see one officer reviewing each application, which Ms Heyward said she believed would stamp out inefficiencies and ensure each one was considered “holistically”. “They’re going to trial it immediately ... it does reduce duplication (and) cost efficiencies, and it does then create total ownership of decision-making,” she said. Ms Heyward said the current ‘next in line’ process involved adjudicators overseeing a particular stage of the process, rather than “taking ownership of an application from start to finish”, creating inefficiencies and gaps in the screening process. Public hearings for the commission began after commissioner Virginia Bell’s interim report was published with 14 recommendations. Anthony Albanese vowed to accept all that related to the commonwealth. The recommendations include calls to heighten security during Jewish events and refine counter-terror co-operation between federal and state agencies. The Prime Minister announced the royal commission on January 8, nearly four weeks after the terror attack, amid mounting public and political pressure. The commission’s final report is due to be handed down in December, a year on from the Bondi attack.