Terrorism alert for police increased to high

Police will be ordered to take special care for their personal security with the Government to raise the national alert level for State and Federal officers.

The West Australian understands the Director-General of ASIO will issue a special note today raising the security alert for police from its current level of medium to high.

The move follows the Abbott Government’s decision late last year to raise the general national terror alert from medium to high.

The change in alert level means State police forces will be forced to reassess the way they carry out everyday duties such as street patrols or home visits.

State police forces are expected to detail today how they will change security arrangements for officers.

WA Police Acting Commissioner Steve Brown said it was the first time the police threat level had been raised to high, but stressed there was no specific information that suggested an attack was being planned here in WA.

He said recent international events such as the Paris attacks were behind the decision.

"This alert is specific to the police sector and is based on advice from Federal Authorities," he said

"This ... naturally follows the general threat environment and recent events overseas and in Australia which have seen policing and police specifically targeted by extremists.

"This change is therefore an appropriate and expected outcome of the current global environment."

The move is likely to result in increased security at all police stations, as well extra safety measures being put in place for officers on the road.

Similar moves are happening around the country.

WA Police already upgraded security after the attack on two officers in Melbourne in September which resulted in an 18 year old Islamic State supporter being shot dead.

Police would not comment on specific measures, but officer have already been advised this morning not to travel in uniform to and from work, particularly on public transport.

All officers will also be required to carry guns while involved in operational duties.

Mr Brown said the upcoming Australia Day fireworks would go ahead as normal, and reassured members of the public that there was no suggestion of any specific threat to the event.

WA Police said the increased level indicated a terror attack against police in Australia was considered likely.

There is no specific threat to WA officers but recent events in Europe are a sobering reminder of the risks associated with the role of a police officer, WA Police said in a statement.

The Australian Federal Police say the change is a result of intelligence and discussions with its partners, and is in line with the broader threat level for the community.

“Recent events in France, Canada and Australia serve as a sobering reminder of the risks associated with policing,” the AFP said.

“While relatively small, there are increasing numbers of Australians who are connected with or inspired by overseas terrorist groups such as the Islamic State ... with the intent and capability to conduct an attack against police.”

Terror groups are increasingly changing the way they carry out attacks, moving away from so-called “mass casualty” operations such as bombings to smaller scale attacks.

In recent months there has been a series of so-called “lone wolf” attacks on public officials, with terrorists using easily found items such as knives or cars to go after their targets.

Tony Abbott has said all a terrorist needs to carry out an attack in this day and age is a mobile phone and a knife.

In September, Melbourne teenager Abdul Numan Haider was shot dead after he stabbed two police officers who wanted to talk to him about his increasingly radicalised behaviour and association with extremist groups.

Haider had been a “person of interest” to counter-terrorism investigators and had his passport cancelled. It was suggested he might have been inspired to attack police but exhortations from Islamic State to kill Australians.

In the recent Paris terrorist attack, two police officers were gunned down by brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi during their assault on satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, including a Muslim officer who begged for his life on the street.

A policewoman was killed a day later by an associate of the brothers in an apparent diversion to help the brothers flee the city.

with AAP