Mourning the fallen: Slain police to receive full honours funeral
A funeral service with full police honours will be held just before Christmas for two officers who were gunned down in this week’s horrific attack on the Western Downs, which Opposition Leader Peter Dutton likened to terrorism.
The service will be held on Wednesday in Brisbane for constables Rachel McCrow, 29, and Matthew Arnold, 26, the force confirmed late on Thursday.
Constables Arnold and McCrow and local resident Alan Dare, 58, were gunned down at a rural property at Wieambilla, between the towns of Tara and Chinchilla, on Monday.
Officers Randall Kirk and Keeley Brough, both 28, escaped with minor physical injuries.
Their killers – Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey Train – died in a firefight with heavily armed tactical officers.
Wednesday’s funeral service will be held at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton likened the trio of Queensland police killers to Islamic extremists and again raised serious concerns about online radicalisation.
Police are looking into the Train brothers’ online activities, including their possible involvement in extremist conspiracy groups and forums.
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The opposition leader said friends and families of people falling down conspiratorial rabbit holes must proactively contact authorities before tragedy strikes.
“There are some sick individuals out there and the internet’s made it possible for them to spread their lies and their hatred, and so it is difficult for authorities to pick that up,” Dutton told Nine Radio.
“The parallel obviously is with young people who are being indoctrinated online, with an ISIL ideology, just a hatred of authority … they spend hours and hours and hours reading this information and information is deliberately posted, knowing that will influence people in a negative way.”
Dutton doubled down in his criticism of encrypted messaging services, although the Train family posted in forums rather than via the secure software.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said security agencies were “actively considering” the implications for national security after initial reports of the perpetrator’s online radicalisation and violent extremism emerged.
“It’s really important that we let law enforcement and national security agencies do their job (but) once the picture does start to clarify, it is likely that radicalisation will form a part of it,” she told parliament on Thursday.
“It is absolutely clear … that conspiracy theories, disinformation and misinformation … are being turbocharged by technology into terrible acts of violence.”
O’Neil said online radicalisation was a new kind of security threat and parliament would have to consider deep and important policy questions to address how Australia prevented such crimes.
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Early Childhood Education Minister Anne Aly – who worked as an academic in counter terrorism and countering violent extremism before she entered politics – said the perpetrators appeared to have been on a trajectory to violent acts.
“We have to get better at recognising those warning signs, we have to get better at intervening early, we have to get better at early identification.”
The slain officers will have their names added to the National Police Memorial in Canberra in time for next September’s Police Remembrance Day.
Residents of Tara and Chinchilla will also gather to pay tribute to the victims of the shooting tragedy.
Planned Christmas celebrations at Tara will also become a time to remember those who died.
“We hope the community can rally together in a time of despair and support each other through this tough time in the lead-up to Christmas,” organisers said as they urged locals to attend.
Nearby, Chinchilla residents will gather for a candlelight vigil to connect and support community members.
Western Downs Mayor Paul McVeigh said the community was deeply saddened but would come together in tribute.
“The outpouring of support and gestures of sympathy and condolences from the residents and businesses of Chinchilla and Tara have been heartwarming at a time when such pain and sadness is being felt,” he said.
While the community mourns, Australia’s national security agencies have turned their focus to the role online radicalisation and extremism played in the ambush.
Police continue to probe the Train brothers’ online activities, including their possible involvement in extremist conspiracy groups and forums.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said security agencies were “actively considering” the implications for national security.
“It’s really important that we let law enforcement and national security agencies do their job, (but) once the picture does start to clarify, it is likely that radicalisation will form a part of it,” she told parliament on Thursday.
“It is absolutely clear … that conspiracy theories, disinformation and misinformation … are being turbocharged by technology into terrible acts of violence.”
