Former Police Commissioner Gary Griffith Warns Senate’s ZOSO Rejection Puts Public Safety at Risk
Former Police Commissioner Gary Griffith has issued a stark warning to lawmakers following the Senate’s rejection of the proposed Zones of Special Operations (ZOSO), saying the decision risks handing criminals “the upper hand” and undermining public safety.
In a media release addressed to the nation, including Opposition and Independent Senators, Griffith described the failure of the ZOSO Bill as “a grave and deeply consequential error in judgement.” He emphasised that his comments were not political, but drawn from “decades of experience, training, and service in law enforcement and national security at the highest levels.”
Griffith pointed to the country’s experience under a nationwide State of Emergency over the past 14 months, which granted authorities powers broader than those proposed under ZOSO. “That State of Emergency applied nationally, not selectively, and yet throughout that entire period there were no substantiated reports of systemic police abuse, no wave of extrajudicial killings, no political victimisation, and no widespread misuse of authority attributed to the SOE itself,” he said.
He questioned the logic behind rejecting a more targeted approach: “If a nationwide SOE did not produce the abuses now being suggested, how can a diminished version, confined to specific high-risk areas, suddenly be deemed unacceptable?”
Acknowledging recent concerns over a police shooting and comments by the Commissioner of Police, Griffith said these issues were legitimate but could have been addressed. He noted that safeguards such as mandatory body-worn cameras and compulsory use of less-lethal tools like tasers and pepper spray would have mitigated fears of abuse.
“Instead of strengthening oversight and refining implementation, the decision was taken to abandon the measure altogether,” he said.
Griffith also stressed the importance of practical crime-fighting strategies over political posturing. He recalled that past reductions in violent crime followed the introduction of new policies, specialised units, modern equipment, technology, and operational systems, not reliance on prolonged States of Emergency. He criticised current police leadership for a “noticeable absence of new policies, units, technologies, or operational innovations” over the past year, describing ZOSO as “a critical frontline tool to peg back criminal activity.”
Without such measures, Griffith warned, the country risks escalating violence and murder rates surpassing 600 annually. “The balance has once again been tipped in favour of criminal elements,” he said. “This decision sends the wrong signal to criminals, to law-abiding citizens, and to the frontline officers tasked with protecting our communities.”
He concluded bluntly: “This outcome is not a victory for civil liberties, nor is it a triumph of principle. It is a setback for public safety.”
The comments come after the Law Reform (Zones of Special Operations) Special Security and Community Development 2026 Bill failed to pass in the Senate last night. The legislation required a three-fifths majority but did not receive support from a single Independent Senator. After four sittings of the Upper House, 15 Government Senators voted in favour, while 14 Senators voted against, including six Opposition Senators and eight of the nine Independent Senators. Independent Senator Courtney Mc Nish abstained. The Government needed at least four Independent Senators to secure passage.
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