Sydney’s Lindt Café was the scene of a terrorist attack that occurred on 15–16 December 2014. A lone gunman held hostage ten customers and eight employees of the café in the building in Martin Place, Sydney.
As head of NSW Police Corporate Communications, John took charge of the NSW Police social media platforms and managed the operational media briefings by the Deputy Commissioner Specialist Operations.
The details of the incident itself are well-known but there were some key aspects to the communications response which led to it being praised as best-practise by the subsequent joint Federal/State enquiry:
- We were prepared – regular desktop exercises with the media to develop a common understanding and a way to facilitate the needs of both sides without compromising the operational requirements
- We addressed rumours quickly – this posed a significant potential to create panic but given our access to commanders we could publicly identify “fake news” and stop the rumours
- We kept the community updated and reassured – regular information and direction to the general public through our own content and sharing the content from other organisations like Transport for NSW, NSW Health, the Education Department
- Confident, trusted, and well-informed spokespeople – two spokespeople to ensure consistency of message, the Police Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner. They were well-briefed and provided regular updates with a specific purpose and well-calibrated messaging that informed and provided reassurance
