Zero Tolerance, Not Zero Action

There’s a dangerous misconception floating through the minds of some policymakers, that enforcing laws against minor infractions is somehow unjust, excessive, or even immoral. They speak of “restorative approaches,” “community consultation,” and “systemic equity” as if disorder responds to conversation. But those of us on the ground, on the front lines, whether in a shopping centre, transit hub, or industrial compound, know the truth, minor crackdowns prevent major crimes.

This isn’t theory. This is pattern recognition rooted in reality. When small acts of lawlessness go unchecked, like loitering, vandalism, fare evasion, graffiti, aggressive humbugging, it doesn’t end there. It accelerates. It emboldens. What begins as a nuisance festers into theft, assault, and even homicide. The criminal learns quickly, if no one cares about the little rules, they won’t care about the big ones either.

That’s why zero tolerance doesn’t mean draconian brutality, it means zero hesitation in responding to early warning signs. It’s about taking the first step seriously, because it’s the first step toward the cliff.

Too many of today’s bureaucrats and activists confuse enforcement with oppression. They ask, “Why arrest someone for trespassing?” when they should be asking, “Why was he allowed to test boundaries without consequence?” Because it is in that moment, when boundaries are tested, that deterrence either hardens or collapses. And if it collapses, the next offense will be more aggressive. Last year I watched as a Judge let a Darwin High School Activist teacher who was rightfully folded by security personnel following a lawful request by police officers onsite to put her in the back of a paddy wagon, escape conviction because an incompetent activist judge let the sick fruit loop walk. I’ve since removed a school made weapon from one of her students at another site. This is what happens with psychotic moral exhibitionism, it spreads. If not for my experience the kids could have ended up being lawfully killed through self-defence, or worse placed me into an early grave. The police, they returned the minor back to his school, no charges laid. When your judiciary and police fail to enforce the law, what do they think that encourages?  Next time the kid will probably be put to rest or worse.

Look at any high-crime area and you’ll find the same story,  public defiance of order is tolerated, even encouraged. Look at any low-crime area, and you’ll see that no violation is beneath attention. Not because authorities in safer areas are petty or punitive, but because they understand the psychology of opportunistic crime, it starts with testing.

The same principle that governs parenting, education, and workplace discipline applies to public safety. You reward what you tolerate. You invite what you excuse. When shoplifters are let off with warnings, more shoplifters come. When disorderly conduct isn’t challenged, more chaos arrives. And eventually, someone gets hurt, or killed, and the blame is shifted to “root causes” rather than the root failure of enforcement.

Zero tolerance is not about authoritarianism. It’s about clarity. It communicates to every potential offender, this space is protected, not neglected. It empowers the security guard to act. It tells the public, “We won’t wait until someone bleeds before we intervene.”

Security operations live and die on the principle of pre-emption. A strong presence, swift response, and unapologetic action against small breaches builds an invisible fence that deters larger threats. It's not glamorous. It doesn't make headlines. But it keeps people safe. And for those of us who’ve spent years reviewing incident reports, watching surveillance feeds, and writing operational SOPs, the correlation is undeniable.

You stop the man loitering behind a business, you prevent the burglary he planned later that night. You eject the fare evader on Monday, you don’t have to disarm him after he stabs a commuter on Friday. You challenge the graffiti artist today, you don’t have to investigate gang turf wars tomorrow.

Meanwhile, the high-minded critics accuse security and effective police of “over-policing,” of being “trigger-happy with authority.” But they never show up to the aftermath. They’re not the ones telling a mother her son was attacked at the bus stop. They rock up to protests after a kid is murdered at work, stabbed whilst doing his job, and get visibly upset when I ask them what the hell they are doing there? They aren’t fighters of freedom, they are the leeches that feed of human suffering. They’re not the ones separating violent offenders from the public in retail carparks. They theorize while others bleed.

Let’s make one thing clear, zero action is not compassion. It’s cowardice. Choosing not to enforce the law, not to intervene, not to set boundaries is not moral restraint. Its bureaucratic negligence disguised as empathy. And criminals exploit it without shame.

What works is enforcement. What works is visibility. What works is holding the line when it’s barely a thread, so it doesn’t unravel into tragedy.

This isn’t just security doctrine, it’s civilizational truth. Societies rot from the outside in, not the top down. And if you let the edges fray, if you permit the small things to grow, you’ll soon find yourself chasing monsters you helped create.

So, the answer is not softer hands or longer reports. It’s faster action, clearer boundaries, and zero tolerance for the slippery slope of disorder.

Because the alternative isn’t justice, it’s decay, and I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to die yet. From the author.

The opinions and statements are those of Sam Wilks and do not necessarily represent whom Sam Consults or contracts to. Sam Wilks is a skilled and experienced Security and Risk Consultant with 3 decades of expertise in the fields of Real estate, Security, and the hospitality/gaming industry. Sam has trained over 1,000 entry level security personnel, taught defensive tactics, weapons training and handcuffs to policing personnel and the public. His knowledge and practical experience have made him a valuable asset to many organisations looking to enhance their security measures and provide a safe and secure environment for their clients and staff.