Finally, I've been part of groups organizing non-violent direct actions that we tried to keep secret until they happened. We later found out the cops had an informer in our ranks, and knew about everything we were doing before it happened:
http://www.nickyhager.info/crossing-the-line-the-activist-who-turned-police-informer/
So given that the shooter who attacked the mosques in Christchurch was part of a rifle club that had been reported to the Police by worried gun owners, how the hell did they not know what he was planning and stop him before he did it?