Armed police start patrols in Sydney after Bondi Beach attack
The new police unit is a security measure in response to last year's deadly shooting attack at a Hanukkah festival.
Armed police begin patrols in Sydney after Bondi Beach attack
Heavily armed police officers have begun patrolling the streets of Sydney as part of tighter security measures introduced after last year’s fatal shooting at Bondi Beach.
The Armed Response Command (ARC) will deploy specially trained officers in crowded tourist areas, where they will carry long-arm rifles — a sight unfamiliar to most residents.
New South Wales police said the officers will also be present at major events such as sports matches and at places of worship “to prevent, deter and rapidly respond to serious threats, including active armed offender incidents”.
Fifteen people, including a 10-year-old girl, were killed in December when two gunmen opened fire at an event marking the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at the popular beach.
The attack was Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in nearly 30 years and led to major gun law changes and a crackdown on hate speech.
One resident told ABC News that the presence of armed police was “unnerving”.
“They are just everywhere. Those guns are huge.”
Another woman, however, told the broadcaster that seeing armed police made her feel safe.
New South Wales police said ARC is intended to be “highly visible across Sydney, driving specialist vehicles and carrying rifles.”
Detective Superintendent Andrew Evans said its purpose “is built on a simple principle - preserving life,”
The 14 December shooting placed enormous pressure on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government, with demands for swift action on antisemitism.
Jewish communities have welcomed the new police operation, which will eventually include 250 officers, while others have urged safeguards to protect human rights.
“No Australian wants to see officers with military weapons on our streets, but the sight of body bags is far worse,” Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said.
Amnesty International Australia said it was worried about the “militarisation of policing” and sought assurances from the state government that ARC would not be used to suppress peaceful protests.
“Any expansion of police powers and capabilities must be accompanied by clear, publicly accessible rules, robust independent oversight and accountability,” said the organisation’s Andrew Witheford.
The New South Wales government defended the new measures.
“Our world changed forever. That’s just the truth of it, right across this country. And I said it at the time, we will never be the same again,” the state’s Police Minister Yasmin Catley told the ABC.
One of the alleged gunmen, Naveed Akram, has been charged with 78 offences, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and one count of committing a terrorist act.
His father, Sajid Akram, 50 — who was also armed and fired at the crowd on Bondi Beach — was shot dead by police at the scene.