In 2014, while speaking with someone at an event, they laughed and asked: Why would anyone need close protection in New Zealand?
New Zealand and the rest of the Pacific have often been viewed as an island paradise. Don’t get me wrong, it is. We have endless beaches and long hot days in the summer, and we are spoiled with busy ski fields and snow-capped mountain getaways in winter.
But there are always two sides to an environment. Sadly, New Zealand is also home to one of the highest numbers of motorbike gang memberships per capita. In April 2022, patched and prospect gang members on the National Gang List numbered 7,722. That may not seem like a lot to other countries, but to put it into perspective, New Zealand only has 13,000 police staff.
Recently we have seen a growth in gun violence, and retail crime has exploded with multiple large ram raids a week on different ranges of stores.
Surging Crime and Booming Tech Sector
New Zealand and the Pacific struggle with crime and gangs. We are also home to world-leading entrepreneurs. In fact, New Zealand has always been known for its lamb, wine, and fresh produce it supplies the world. Yet, now we are known for Rocket Lab, a billion-dollar film industry, growth in technology and innovation.
We have a growing super yacht and boating industry. All these industries are creating and attracting high-net-worth families and individuals. The Spinoff released an article last month showing that almost half (45%) of New Zealand homes are valued at NZD1 million or more as the country sees a rise in middle-class millionaires.
The other noticeable change post-Covid is the rise of conspiracy theorists. The New Zealand and Australia region saw large anti-government demonstrations in all major cities during the Covid lockdowns and the growth of anti-vax groups who aligned themselves with other anti-government groups.
Who Needs Close Protection in New Zealand and the Pacific?
I see a growing need for CEOs, entrepreneurs, high-net-worth families, media personalities and politicians to have an increased use for security manager services or close protection in New Zealand. Recorded incidents of violent behaviour have increased, and there seems to be increased aggression from conspiracy groups.
Many people associated with or who run these conspiracy groups are easily fixated on people, government staff or private companies. Fixated persons can be extremely dangerous. Many countries, including New Zealand, Australia, and the UK, have special police units that work alongside mental health organisations to investigate, risk assess and offer help to people of concern.
Because CEOs, entrepreneurs, high-net-worth families and politicians live very public lives, often appearing on local TV or having a large social media following, they are easy targets for fixated persons or concerning groups/individuals who want to target them.
Many well-known people have been victims of stalkers. Luckily, most don’t end in violence. Still, there are numerous examples where they can turn fatal.
In the book “Public Figures, Private Lives,” the authors discuss three main reasons for people to have enhanced protection. They are:
- Risk mitigation,
- Lifestyle, and
- Privacy.
Each high-net person, CEO etc., should have an annual risk, threat, and vulnerability assessment (RTVA). This should be carried out internally on an ongoing basis as concerns/incidents or persons of interest come to light. It is also essential to have an independent RTVA completed that looks at the situation from an external view and can identify different threats or concerns.
Can It Happen Here?
The simple answer is yes. Sadly, the lesson from Japan in the recent assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is that it can happen anywhere. No matter how safe you think a country is. If you look at the offender in that scenario, his character, beliefs and fixation, there would be hundreds of people living in New Zealand and Australia with the same or similar personalities and beliefs.
If we study the environment here in New Zealand and Australia, we can identify the following concerning behaviours:
- We have people who have strong beliefs in conspiracy theories,
- Have a large group of people with mental health concerns,
- People who are identified as fixated,
- People with severe drug dependency,
- History of violent behaviour,
- History of mass killings,
- Accessibility to firearms and weapons.
Looking at all the above points and behaviours within our environment, we can say that it’s a case of when not if. For example, New Zealand and Australia have both been victims of mass shootings and acts of terrorism. Both countries had individuals who attempted to harm members of the royal family, and politicians in both countries have been attacked or had objects thrown at them.
Many companies and individuals are starting to invest in close protection in New Zealand and the region. More families are looking into property managers with a security background. Also, those who can afford it hire close protection or executive protection specialists.
There is still a large sense of belief in New Zealand of “it would never happen here” or “She’ll be alright.” Sadly, this is why many companies don’t look into executive protection or manage the security of their CEO/directors/talent very well. It is a dangerous mindset to ignore the environment we live in and the people with whom we share this space.
In Conclusion
My advice to anyone living in New Zealand or Australia: If you are well-known, are a CEO of a company, a celebrity, or a popular social media or media personality, you should be engaging with someone around your personal security.
There are different levels of security, which can be costly to have, but there are options in the market. If you don’t have a budget for close protection, you could get an RTVA completed or an intel report on what and who is looking at your online profile. I always recommend people with any concerns engage with the police. They may not be able to provide the support you need, but it is crucial to have any problems with individuals recorded and monitored by police.
The next discussion is the quality of close protection you choose and how you choose what is right for you or your organisation. But that is an entirely new topic!
