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Keelty says airport bikie brawl response 'acceptable'

BY NICK RALSTON, STEPHANIE GARDINER AND KELLEE NOLAN

24 Mar, 2009 07:04 AM

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty insists the response to Sunday's deadly bike gang brawl at Sydney Airport is ''within acceptable practice''.

The brutal murder of a man in front of crowds of travellers has exposed fatal shortcomings in Sydney airport's security as it was revealed airport police only learned of the brawl, involving up to 20 men, after terrified passengers telephoned triple-0.

A 29-year-old man, named as Anthony Zervas, was bludgeoned to death in the domestic terminal. In response, NSW Police are doubling the size of the Gang Squad, saying the killing shows bikie gang violence is escalating.

Premier Nathan Rees and Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione announced yesterday the establishment of Strike Force Raptor to crack down on the groups.

It will comprise 75 officers, drawn from various sections of the force, significantly bolstering the 50-strong Gang Squad by the end of the week.

Mr Rees said a review of current laws would also be expedited in the wake of Sunday's vicious brawl involving 20 members of the Hells Angels and rival Comancheros motorcycle gangs.

Commonwealth Attorney-General Robert McClelland has sought a report from the Australian Federal Police, which has primary responsibility for maintaining security at the airport, in conjunction with state police.

Mr Keelty, in defending the police response, said officers were on the scene one minute after learning of the vicious brawl. ''The first call went to triple-0 at 1.43pm [on Sunday],'' he said. ''The first call to the airport police command came in at 1.46pm and the first police responded at 1.47pm one minute later.''

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times

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comments

Date: Newest first | Oldest first

This is a serious indictment on the so-called security at airports where the focus is towards preventing certain items from entering the "controlled" area, traffic management at departure and arrivals and enforcing the prohibition on smoking in the terminals - all of which being performed by contractors (not sworn officers). Keelty is hiding behind the argument that they responded within 3 minutes of receiving the 000 call. The real argument is not when they received the 000 call but when the call went out across their radio network. Meethinks it may have been much earlier. As a frequent traveller I regularly see AFP personnel "strutting their stuff" throughout the terminal - armed with pistols, capscain spray, night sticks and the latest generation radios. However at the first sign of SERIOUS trouble they were conspicuous by their absence.

Posted by TonyR, 24/03/2009 8:48:49 AM

i cannot bealive that commissioner mick keelty insists that police response to sundays deadly gang brawl at sydney airport is acceptable practice. who rang 000? a passenger,god help us,were was security,police. nowhere to be seen, i have a different view. our security has been exposed , this is sydney airport we are talking about. it seems the gangs had the airport to themselfs, free for all, shame and dispicable security, perhaps mr keelty should take a holiday, or get a second opinion, its very simple... our security has been badly exposed...

Posted by cesare, 24/03/2009 9:25:38 AM

I'm the first to complain about cops usually, but the public "outrage" over this airport response is a joke. If 20 large bikies are having a brawl and you want to stop them, you're going to need 100 cops. How can you expect to have 100 cops at an emergency call within 3 minutes? Or would the public rather the police turned up and just started shooting them? These guys didn't have weapons inside the secure area of the airport, not on the planes either. No one from the public was hurt. I don't see what the cops or security could possibly have done to prevent this without a riot squad.

Posted by miketron, 24/03/2009 10:01:29 AM

This is a level of performance that the Pakistani Police would be ashamed of. The AFP have been caught with their pants down and Mick Kelty should resign in shame and embarrassment. The issues: 1) We have had a MURDER in the pubic concourse at Sydney Airport and those responsible just walked away (and still havent been picked up). 2) It took a 000 call to notify police their was a problem (surveillance, what surveillance?) 3) It took 6 minutes form the 000 call for the police to be dispatched. 4) The total police staff at Sydney Airport is 14, Bangkok for instance has more staff in the Airport Police office at Midnight than this. If this had been a terrorist attack we would be looking at a death and injury toll on par with Mumbai, with the attacked just walking away.

Posted by Allan, 24/03/2009 10:15:27 AM

This is a disgraceful event that has exposed the lack of real security at our busiest airport. For the commissioner to indicate 000 was required to report an activity akin to terrorism taking place at our biggest airport is like saying - "Our boat is sinking, I'll just call Bunnings and wait for them to bring some buckets". A ship is sinking alright, but I suspect its called the SS Mick "titanic incompetence" Keelty. First things first. The security camera watcher and his manager need to be sacked. If they can't see a commotion as big as this one and not send all guards running, then something is seriously wrong. Second, a review of other security cameras should be done so as to ascertain where the other security guards were and if any were found to be unresponsive, they should be sacked. I'd hate to think a man died because a person trained to serve and protect wasn't up to the task. Third, the Commissioner has shown his incompetence too many times now. Remember the Haneef affair? Now we're looking at the 000 affair? You have got to be kidding Keelty.. The AFP is culpable on all counts. Their approach (or lack of it) to standard policing places shame on the state forces that watch in horror the antics of a federal police force bereft of competency. Keelty needs to go to end this farce. Bring us someone who knows what to do..

Posted by John Spender, 24/03/2009 10:18:44 AM

How much longer are we going to keep having to listen to Keelty's howard era spin? The fight broke out meters away from the Xray machines where presumably there is plenty of security? While its not keeltys fault that clearly security staff hid like frightened bunnies until it was too late, what is unacceptable is that we have to endure yet more excuses and spin from Keelty.. Enough I say, get rid of this guy, he doesnt make us feel safer.

Posted by Spin Doctor, 24/03/2009 11:08:17 AM

Just a thought. A security officer's role is to observe and report suspects to police, or apprehend offenders WHEN APPROPRIATE and detain them until police arrive. Think about it. We get paid only about $15 an hour with our partner (one or 2 other) standing securing an entry or exit door. Most the time we don't have enough staff members to leave the post to stop a brawl happening right in front of us. (it won't be funny if we left the post and some idiot walk right into the secure area with prohibited items such as firearms or weapons) On top of that, these people are huge and through experience, it requires at least 3 police or security guards to hold one of them down. So all we can do at our entry exit point is radio the base and tell them we need backup or police and most times security would have to call triple zero for police to help anyway. Government and organisations have been cutting cost and this affect the level and ability of services where in this case, probably lacking security or police personnel. This is a result of economic downturn. For security officers to be protecting the public as in to keep them away from the ruckas... they did what they could. Why get paid $15 and possibly get killed in the process of stopping a bunch of guys trying to kill each another when you are clearly outnumbered anyway? We are not armed with anything (e.g. capsicum spray) that can disable a person without being harm.

Posted by hmm, 24/03/2009 12:08:35 PM

Hey! If you're going to remove sworn and trained police from security based roles (they're overtrained for) and then place in civilian security officers and pay them $14 per hour (you get more at Maccas) then this is the response you're going to get. If you want a properly managed and fully trained security personnel you'll have to bring in a Military style organisation. Travel to Singapore Airport to view real security. Pay peanuts and you'll get ............... I certainly wouldn't be sticking my head into any bikie brawl for what they get paid in any case!

Posted by FlaxtonBumpy, 24/03/2009 12:33:13 PM

So what we're saying is if a couple of big burly looking blokes put on a mean face, come in the front door and grab a few posts off the floor, the most secure airport in Australia is defenceless? Terrorists must be kicking themselves for not thinking of it, they go to so much trouble in other countries...

Posted by John Spender, 24/03/2009 2:16:27 PM

pretty much the case i guess for security... the thing is that the there's no legislation that protect security officers unlike the police. if you assaulted the cops, you get harsh penalty, you assault a security officer... it's the same as kicking somebody in the public... all you get is slap on the wrist and few years jail. places like Singapore, they get military and police personnel for security in high profile places like airport. They have full authority and are protected by the law itself.

Posted by hmm, 24/03/2009 3:14:06 PM

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