Who we are
Peter Dein APM
GCG Consortium · Member record
Australia
Tab 01 · Profile
Profile
Former Assistant Commissioner of the NSW Police Force, retiring in 2014 after 41 years of policing — the last six as the senior officer responsible for counter-terrorism in NSW, in charge of the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command. He later held a statutory Assistant Commissioner position at the NSW Crime Commission and now consults on threat advice, risk management and exercise facilitation for government, law enforcement and private industry. Awarded the Australian Police Medal for distinguished service to major criminal investigation.
Peter's 41-year career combined major crime investigative and high-risk national security commands, with 20 years in executive command. In 2007, with the Australian Federal Police, the NSW Crime Commission and later ASIO, he helped establish and maintain the nation's largest Joint Counter Terrorism Team in Sydney — developing policy, formulating training and facilitating workshops with the Australia–New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee (ANZCTC) and chairing specialist committees building national security capability. As the NSW Police Force's most senior detective in the 2000s he coordinated the Force's major crime squads, with experience spanning special weapons and tactics, threat assessment and risk management across violent crime, kidnap for ransom, extortion and counter-terrorism operations. The NSW Police Force's Michael O'Brien Memorial Scholarship (1994) supported his research into international policing responses to kidnap for ransom, producing a Kidnap Response Plan adopted nationally whose substance continues to exist today.
He holds a Bachelor of Laws and was admitted as a barrister (non-practising) in the NSW Supreme Court in 1993. A graduate of the 2007 international Leadership in Counter Terrorism (LinCT) programme, he was President of the Leadership in Counter Terrorism Alumni Association (LinCT-AA) in 2013 – 2014 and serves on its Executive Advisory Board, involved in planning its international conferences since 2011. He is assisting the Victorian government as a member of the Special Advisory Committee on Countering Violent Extremism, and has volunteered as a mentor to refugees on humanitarian visas from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. His awards include State and National service medals, NSW Police Force leadership citations, an AFP operational medal and the Australian Police Medal in the 2004 Australia Day Honours.
Tab 02 · Areas of expertise
Areas of expertise
- Counter-terrorism Six years as the senior officer responsible for counter-terrorism in NSW, leading the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command and helping establish and maintain the nation's largest Joint Counter Terrorism Team in Sydney.
- Threat assessment & risk management Threat advisor and risk management consultant to Australian law enforcement, national security agencies and private industry, including review work on the National Strategy on Threat to Crowded Places.
- Major crime investigation As the NSW Police Force's most senior detective, coordinated the operations of the Force's major crime squads across violent crime, kidnap for ransom and extortion.
- Exercise & training facilitation Facilitator of counter-terrorism forums and scenario exercise training for government, law enforcement and the private sector.
- National security collaboration 2013 – 2014 President and current Executive Advisory Board member of the Leadership in Counter Terrorism Alumni Association (LinCT-AA), collaborating with law enforcement and security services across the Five Eyes partnership.
Tab 03 · Service record
Service record
- 2018 – present Independent consultant, threat advice and risk management Reviewer of investigator training, the National Strategy on Threat to Crowded Places and custodial practices in a NSW correctional centre; facilitator of counter-terrorism forums for state surface transport and scenario exercise training for government, law enforcement and the private sector; public safety advisor to a global information technology consortium; member of the Victorian government's Special Advisory Committee on Countering Violent Extremism.
- 2016 – 2018 Assistant Commissioner (statutory appointment), NSW Crime Commission Two-year statutory position at the Commission, which assists law enforcement to reduce organised and other serious crime using coercive powers unavailable through normal policing methods, while continuing as a member of Sydney's Joint Counter Terrorism Team in partnership with the AFP, ASIO and NSW Police Force.
- 2014 – 2016 Threat advisor and risk management consultant Consultant and facilitator of training and scenario exercise management for Australian law enforcement, national security agencies and private industry partners; independent advisor to Victoria Police for a high-profile internal investigation.
- 2008 – 2014 Assistant Commissioner, Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command, NSW Police Force Senior officer responsible for counter-terrorism in NSW for his final six years in a 21,000-member force. Helped establish and maintain the nation's largest Joint Counter Terrorism Team in Sydney with the AFP, NSW Crime Commission and later ASIO, and built collaboration across state and federal agencies, security and intelligence services, international law enforcement and industry partners.
- Earlier career Four decades of NSW policing to the rank of Assistant Commissioner 41 years of policing including service as the Force's most senior detective coordinating the major crime squads, with experience in special weapons and tactics, threat assessment and high-risk operations. Research in the UK, USA, France, Italy and Canada on violent crime, national security and high-risk policing, supported by the Michael O'Brien Memorial Scholarship (1994) and resulting in a nationally adopted Kidnap Response Plan. Admitted as a barrister (non-practising) in 1993.
Tab 04 · Consortium delivery