The operation was established after a 14 December attack on a Hanukkah gathering at Bondi Beach left 15 people dead, including a 10-year-old girl. In response, New South Wales police launched specialised vehicle patrols that will ultimately scale up to 250 personnel. While community leaders have welcomed the enhanced protection for vulnerable sites, civil rights groups such as Amnesty International Australia have raised concerns regarding potential militarisation and the impact on peaceful protests.
Key points
New South Wales authorities maintain that security strategies must permanently adapt to p…: New South Wales authorities maintain that security strategies must permanently adapt to protect the public from mass casualty attacks.
Community reactions remain split between reassurance over enhanced safety at religious si…: Community reactions remain split between reassurance over enhanced safety at religious sites and apprehension regarding the militarisation of civil policing.
The Bondi Beach attack has driven sweeping policy changes in Australia, including signifi…: The Bondi Beach attack has driven sweeping policy changes in Australia, including significant gun law reforms and crackdowns on hate speech.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
- Published
Heavily-armed police officers have started patrolling Sydney's streets, as part of heightened security measures following last year's deadly shooting at Bondi Beach.
The Armed Response Command (ARC) will see specially trained officers in busy tourist areas carrying long-arm rifles – an unfamiliar sight for most residents.
New South Wales police say the officers will also patrol major events like sports matches and 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 on an event marking the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at the popular beach.
The attack was Australia's worst mass shooting in almost three decades and prompted sweeping gun law reforms and a crackdown on hate speech.
One resident told ABC news that the sight of armed police was "unnerving".
"They are just everywhere. Those guns are huge."
But another woman told the broadcaster that seeing police with weapons made her feel safe.
ARC is specifically designed to be "highly visible across Sydney,…
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