Source : Perth Now news
A newly-unveiled police unit will soon take to the streets of Sydney armed to the teeth with locally-manufactured carbine rifles and a fleet of state-of-the-art police vehicles as part of a wave of post-Bondi reforms introduced by the Minns Government.
The Armed Response Command (ARC) is currently in the process of training up its officers in the art of urban combat, with officers expected to take to the streets of Sydney in coming weeks as part of their “public” learning phase.
According to the NSW Government, ARC will be comprised of 250 officers and 28 civilian staff at full strength, meaning officers from local area commands will no longer need to be rotated outside of their jurisdictions during massive surge operations.
Premier Chris Minns said policing models needed to change based on “the challenges facing our state”.
“Keeping the people of NSW safe is our number one priority. That means making sure our police have the people, training and equipment they need to respond to serious threats,” Mr Minns said.
“We hope these officers are never called on to respond to a major incident. But if one happens, NSW Police are ready.”
During the Bondi terror attack, a number of police area commands were forced to operate at a limited capacity because uniformed officers, many of whom were off-duty, were redirected to Bondi.
The Royal Commission into anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion also previously heard testimony from senior police figures who said their officers, who were equipped with 9mm Glock pistols, were “placed at significant risk” during the gunfight with the Bondi attackers, who were equipped with shotguns and scoped straight-pull rifles.
Police and Counter-Terrorism Minister Yasmin Catley said ARC was about “backing police with the right ability to detect, prevent and respond to threats”.
“The new Armed Response Command is based on global best practice. Police travelled to Europe to study how other major police forces respond to threats; they’ve taken that on board and will soon be ready to launch an Australian-first rapid response unit,” she said.
“What we’re delivering is a rapid, 24/7 response that the community should have confidence in.”
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said ARC would be “a deterrent for those who wish to commit harm, incite hatred or cause fear”.
“No matter where you are located across Sydney, we want all communities to feel reassured that police can be anywhere, at any time, to keep people safe.”
