NSW Police deputy commissioner David Hudson told a royal commission (a major government inquiry) on Monday, 27 July 2026, that letting the Jewish community's own security team carry guns at public events would make it look like the government or police were giving one group special treatment.

Hudson said NSW Police is "generally opposed" to any individual community, including the Jewish community, being allowed to carry weapons or wear body armour. He told the commission that allowing "certain areas of society to have special privileges in relation to their security would further fracture relationships between different groups." Arming private security for specific groups, he said, "would certainly be looked upon by others as the police or governments showing favouritism to that group." (The Guardian)

Protecting everyone in the community is the job of police, not private groups, Hudson said. He said he strongly prefers a "user pays" model, where the people organising an event pay for police to be there rather than hiring armed private security guards.

The Community Security Group (CSG) is a Jewish community organisation that provides security at Jewish events, led by security professionals and helped by trained volunteers. Under current NSW law, CSG personnel are not allowed to carry firearms at events. (Interim Report, Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion) CSG guards can carry weapons at schools and synagogues (Jewish places of worship), but they were unarmed at a Hanukah celebration in December. About 2,000 people were expected at that event, called Chanukah by the Sea, and four police officers were assigned to attend.

The debate over whether to arm CSG personnel has grown since the Bondi beach terror attack. After that attack, NSW Premier Chris Minns said his government was "actively considering" letting CSG carry guns. A NSW Legislative Council notice paper dated 4 June 2026 references government willingness to arm CSG with weapons and significantly expand its powers. (NSW Parliament) During NSW Budget Estimates 2025-2026, the Minister for Police was asked questions about CSG, with answers stating that a trial was first proposed by a Deputy Commissioner. (NSW Parliament) Evidence given to a NSW Portfolio Committee hearing in September 2025 noted that CSG experiences "a large number of incidents." (NSW Parliament)

Hudson's stance puts him at odds with some in the security field and Jewish community advocacy who want private security to have a bigger armed role. Risk consultant Gavriel Schneider told the royal commission that private security should be armed at open-air events as a valuable alternative or support to police resources. Australian Jewish Association president Robert Gregory said the Jewish community would not feel safe attending open-air events without armed protection and called for a government review of the protective capabilities of licensed security guards.

The royal commission's interim report found no gap in current laws that could have prevented the Bondi shooting, but it called for better coordination of policing at Jewish festivals and events. The commission has been holding public hearings since it opened in Sydney on 24 February 2026, with hearing blocks in Sydney and Melbourne, and is scheduled to hold its sixth public hearing block in Sydney from 28 July to 31 July 2026. (Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion)

The broader context here is a tension that has come up again and again in democratic countries dealing with violence targeted at minority communities: how do you keep people safe without creating different tiers of armed authority that could themselves drive people apart? Hudson's view reflects a principle that only the state should have the power to use force, because that is what keeps society cohesive. It is like a referee in a sport: if one team is allowed to bring its own enforcer onto the field, the referee's authority is undermined and trust in the game breaks down.

The "user pays" model Hudson prefers shifts the cost onto event organisers and venues, which raises the question of whether communities hosting large events can afford enough police protection. The December Chanukah by the Sea event, with 2,000 expected attendees and four officers, shows the kind of resource strain this model would involve. Whether the commission's final recommendations can balance community safety, equal treatment, and police resourcing is the central question as hearings continue into their sixth block.