Kyle Sandilands asks the one question about security guards everyone is thinking as he gets angry about spate of Sydney stabbings: ‘What has to happen?

Radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands has joined growing calls for security guards to be armed in Australia following two stabbing incidents that have rocked Sydney. 

Six people were killed by Queensland man Joel Cauchi, 40, before he was shot dead by a female police officer during a terrifying rampage at Westfield Bondi Junction on Saturday afternoon.

Among the victims was Faraz Tahir, a security guard at the shopping centre, while another guard was injured during the rampage. 

Cauchi’s estranged family said he had battled mental health issues for decades.

Two days later, a 16-year-old boy was detained after stabbing a bishop and a second clergyman with a knife during a sermon at a church in Sydney.

Sandilands, whose wife Tegan’s aunt was stabbed during the Westfield attack, unleashed on the government during a rant on Tuesday’s Kyle and Jackie O Show, asking why security guards don’t have the necessary weapons to protect civilians. 

‘I saw the [NSW] premier [Chris Minns] last night on TV saying firearms for security guards are not on the agenda. And I was like, “Well, what has to happen before a security guard can actually secure the place for us?”‘ Sandilands raged. 

‘Every shopping centre and every school should have armed security guards, trained specialists, not just some guy getting a little firearms licence. I mean, proper trained.’

Most retail security staff in NSW are unarmed, with batons classified as prohibited weapons that require special licensing and training. 

‘There’s people that work at Westfield, for example, women that work in shops that have told their husbands, “I ain’t never going back to Westfield. I’m never going back to work again”,’ Sandilands continued, adding that those retail workers are ‘traumatised forever’ following Saturday’s stabbings. 

He went on to express his hardline opinion on how Australia should deal with violent, mentally ill people who pose a threat to society. 

‘Enough of being kind letting the loons run around amongst us. Let’s gather them up, let’s lock them away, get them the treatment,’ he added.

Sandilands’ co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson pointed out that it may be too difficult to identify such people, asking: ‘How do you know who’s who, though?’ 

‘You can tell!’ Sandilands exclaimed, adding: ‘Look around – half of the people on the train are deranged!’

Sandilands’ opinions have been echoed by fellow veteran broadcaster Ray Hadley, who on Monday demanded on his 2GB Sydney radio show that security guards be armed across the state.

‘For years I’ve been arguing that all security guards in the state in hospitals and shopping centres should be better equipped,’ he said. 

‘Particularly in hospitals, the madness of a weekend, drug-affected people wanting to attack doctors and nurses.’

‘And these poor security guards, unarmed, unable to do what they should do – protecting the people that they are there to protect.’

‘At the very least, they need capsicum spray and even tasers after being fully trained in their use.

He demanded NSW Premier Chris Minns take urgent action now after the premier announced an independent coronial inquest into the Bondi Junction stabbings.

‘I heard Minns say we will wait until the coronial inquiry. Minns, you don’t need a brand new inquiry. You need to make sure the security guards can keep people safe in some way,’ Hadley told listeners.

‘You must act immediately on unarmed security guards in these areas like shopping centres and hospitals. We don’t need an inquiry.’

Mass killings are rare in the country of about 27 million people, which has some of the world’s toughest gun and knife laws.