Behind the scenes: The essential work of security officers in ensuring public safety

The security sector is often maligned for its failings, yet it is playing an increasingly important role in ensuring public safety and security alongside the police and military - - something that is increasingly more evident from recent media coverage. 

This essay reflects on the contributions of this growing industry through the lens of social cohesion. How does public safety facilitate social cohesion and how does the protection of public spaces build social connection and community strength?

While the impetus for these reflections arose some time before the April Bondi Junction stabbings, the attack underscored the importance of the security sector in ensuring public spaces are open, accessible and safe. Australia’s security officers are crucial to these efforts.

Sometimes it takes an incident as grave as the April 2024 Bondi Junction incident to highlight the unseen work of the men and women who are increasingly bearing the responsibility for keeping us safe.

Many of these individuals are new Australians, carrying out their work with dedication in the place they have decided to call home. Their work makes a crucial contribution to our social cohesion and, as we have seen recently, often involves considerable risk.