With the number of Active Armed Offender incidents on the rise across retail outlets, shopping centres and areas of mass gathering, getting your PPRR in place, and practised, is critical.
The term Active Armed Offender (AAO) has gained wider use in recent years. Although incidents involving armed offenders are not new, they are evolving.
The public often associates AAO with terrorism and religious extremism, due to high-profile global attacks. However the drivers for AAO incidents today has broadened, and include individuals motivated by mental health issues, personal grievances, revenge, or criminal intent.
This increases the risk of AAO incidents in areas of high foot traffic, mass gatherings, and retail precincts, which face a wide range of potential threats requiring proactive preparedness.
The nature of AAO attacks has also expanded. While measures such as the WA Firearms Act Reform Buyback Scheme (2024) has helped reduce firearm-related incidents, recent AAO events have increasingly involved edged weapons and machetes, particularly in and around retail precincts:
- April 2024: A man armed with a 30cm knife went on a stabbing spree at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney, resulting in six fatalities and twelve injuries. The perpetrator was fatally shot by responding police. A coronial inquest revealed the assailant had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and had stopped his medication prior to the attack. The incident led to a re-evaluation of security measures at the shopping centre, including the acquisition of stab-resistant vests for security personnel.
- 2023-2025: Bottle shop incidents in Melbourne, Healesville, and Adelaide included attacks on bottle shop staff with weapons and resulted in multiple physical assaults and serious injuries such as a fractured skull. These incidents demonstrate that AAO threats extend beyond high-profile shopping centres to smaller retail outlets, emphasising the need for comprehensive preparedness and staff training across all outlets.
Preparing for AAO
For retailers and owners / operators of crowded places, the starting point to prepare a response for AAO, is the Australia-New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee (ANZCTC) Active Armed Offender (AAO) Guidelines for Crowded Places, which was last updated in 2023.
The guidelines are designed to mitigate the risks associated with AAO incidents, in environments such as shopping centres, sporting venues, places of mass gathering and transport hubs, by providing a ‘Prevent, Preparedness, Response and Recovery (PPRR)’ framework.
They include measures to implement to minimise the offender’s access to potential victims while contact with police is made, and how to cultivate a culture of security, where all employees and contractors recognise, and are prepared to respond to AAO incidents.
Associations and industry bodies, such as the National Retail Association, have further guidance tailored to specific operating environments, like retail and shopping centres, with a particular push at the moment to make sure the Escape, Hide, Tell principles are incorporated into PPRR.
While the guidelines can provide a basis to begin planning, given the serious life threatening risks presented by AAO, bringing in specific expertise to develop PPRR plans, is the best approach.
How ERS can help you prepare for AAO
With real-life skills drawing from the military and police, the experienced ERS Advisory team has the specialist capabilities to support the AAO risk assessment for your organisation, and across multiple locations, and develop a comprehensive PPRR plan.
Our team can also provide tailored face-to-face training to equip frontline staff with the skills to safely de-escalate aggressive behaviour, manage personal safety, and respond effectively to high-risk scenarios, including specific AAO training.
With AAO incidents on the rise, and the safety of employees, customers and the public the critical focus, now is the time to ensure your AAO plan is not just competent, but best practice, informed and supported by expertise that could help save lives.
ERS’s Advisory service provides comprehensive risk management advice covering both strategic and operational aspects, including AAO. If you would like support to get your PPRR plan in place, please contact Tiffany:
Executive Risk Solutions Head Office
