Flowers left in tribute at Bondi Pavilion. Credit: George Chan/Getty Images
Does CSG hold a security licence?
Yes. CSG holds the highest-level master licence, which allows it to provide more than 50 security personnel. The security licensing system is administered by NSW Police.
Can personnel carry weapons at the moment?
Yes. CSG personnel may carry pistols when performing security duties at schools and synagogues. However, the group’s licence does not permit them to carry weapons at public events.
What had CSG asked for before the Bondi attack?
Before the Chanukah by the Sea celebration at Bondi, CSG deemed the event “high risk” and requested police officers remain for the duration. Instead, two junior officers were tasked with monitoring it intermittently. Rabbi Yaakov Levitan, who registered the event with CSG, was killed in the shooting.
Premier Chris Minns at the Bondi Community Hub on Monday. Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
What has Premier Chris Minns said about further arming the group?
Minns first raised the possibility of providing CSG with a greater ability to carry weapons on December 16, during a Sky News interview. On Sunday, he said he was still considering the idea and on Monday he described the move as a “small price to pay”.
“We cannot have a situation where the solution to this horrible terrorism event is to have the Jewish community say, ‘well, we can only exist and celebrate our faith behind big walls’,” Minns told reporters.
Why can’t police provide the extra security?
The premier said CSG would continue to work with police.
“Operation Shelter [set up after the October 7 attacks] is one of the largest police operations the state has ever seen,” Minns said.
“But I don’t want, once the media goes and it’s not on the front page of the newspapers any more, and it’s not immediately front of mind for the majority of citizens in NSW, for this just to go and no longer be front and centre.”
