By Rodger Cook
In a perfect world, the Olympic Games would be only about sport.
In reality, every host city carries a heavy, often hidden, burden: the responsibility to protect hundreds of thousands of people, many of them international travellers, in large, packed stadiums or equally packed public streets and venues.
History remembers both triumph and tragedy. Triumph is guaranteed at an Olympics but with careful planning and preparation, tragedy can be averted.
Just days ago, a vehicle attack in Vancouver turned cultural celebrations into the city’s deadliest attack as a man is alleged to have driven a vehicle down a street packed with revellers. On New Year’s Day a truck attack killed 14 in New Orleans, and only months ago the German city of Magdeburg’s famous Christmas markets fell victim to another vehicle attack.
It would be a mistake to think these attacks are things that only happen in other countries. A recent security breach saw firearms smuggled into a packed AFL match at the MCG, providing a sobering reminder of the vulnerabilities associated with major events.
The good news is that Brisbane has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to embed security into the very foundations of its Olympic infrastructure. That means going far beyond metal detectors and CCTV.
It means designing venues and precincts with integrated safety measures that prevent threats before they emerge – think reinforced vehicle barriers, layered access control, and real-time surveillance systems that create secure perimeters and slow down would-be attackers.
Too often, security enters the conversation late in the construction or after tragedy strikes. Brisbane can set a new global benchmark by embedding proactive risk planning into every stage of Olympic development – from design and construction to operations and legacy.
Crowd-related risks aren’t limited to vehicles or smuggled weapons. Low-tech, high-impact threats like lone-wolf or coordinated attacks – such as the Boston Marathon bombing – demonstrate how minimal resources can yield devastating results. These threats demand intelligence-led prevention strategies and scenario planning, not just a visible security presence.
Some will raise valid concerns about privacy, particularly around technologies like facial recognition and advanced surveillance. These concerns deserve transparent, inclusive discussion.
But in a world of rising instability, we must confront an uncomfortable reality: there may be trade-offs between individual privacy and collective safety. If we want to safeguard lives at high-profile global events, these conversations need to be had – openly and early.
Brisbane’s path to 2032 must start with a clear-eyed view of what it will take to deliver not just a spectacular Games, but a safe one. We have the chance to get it right, but only if we put security where it belongs: front and centre.
– Rodger Cook is General Manager of Global Security Services at World Travel Protection. A former Australian Defence Force Intelligence Sergeant, he has advised multinational firms on risk and resilience across Asia, Africa and the Pacific.
