The New South Wales police have launched a permanent special unit armed with military rifles to patrol Sydney's tourist areas, crowded public spaces, major events, sporting matches and places of worship, in what experts and civil liberties groups say risks mission creep and the militarisation of policing.
The unit, known as the Armed Response Command, was launched on Sunday and will include 200 specialist trained officers who will drive specialist cars, carry military rifles and be 'highly visible' across Sydney, police said. The unit's commander, Det Supt Andrew Evans, said it was built on the principle of 'preserving life'. 'Operational readiness is about ensuring that if the community needs us on its worst day, we can perform at our best,' he said in a media statement last week.
The creation of the unit was promised in the wake of the Bondi terror attack. A police deputy commissioner said police were outgunned, with officers armed with 9mm Glock pistols while the alleged shooters were armed with rifles. The Jewish community had asked for a dedicated police presence at a Hanukah event in the days before the attack, but only junior roaming patrol officers were in the area. In the aftermath, the Police Association of NSW argued for officers to be issued with long-armed weapons more consistently.
Counter-terrorism expert Julian Droogan of Macquarie University said that while hardening security around locations such as the Opera House and Bondi beach made sense, there was a risk it could push attacks toward 'softer targets'. 'You cannot police your way out of the challenge of terrorism, you have to be able to address it also at the root cause,' he said. He noted it remained to be seen whether visibly arming police officers would make the community feel safer.
John Battersby, a former New Zealand police officer turned security expert at Massey University, warned of the potential for 'mission creep' and a potential change in police attitudes. New Zealand police carried long-arm rifles for six weeks after the 2019 Christchurch attack, and the country trialled an armed police unit in its wake that was soon scrapped. The decision to remain unarmed followed consultation with the community. 'I think we've got to respond to the risks that are emerging, but when we respond to those risks, we have to be conscious that we may be bringing others,' Battersby said.
Vincent Hurley, a former NSW police officer and now lecturer at Macquarie University, said he believed fewer people would have lost their lives at Bondi had an armed response command been present, but also raised concerns about community responses to such a heavily armed unit.
The unit has been welcomed by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Alex Ryvchin, the council's co-chief executive, said: 'No Australian wants to see officers with military weapons on our streets, but the sight of body bags is far worse.' But Bart Shteinman of the Jewish Council of Australia called for a more holistic approach to tackle the root causes of antisemitism, saying 'bigger guns and harsher laws will not tackle the root causes of violence and hatred'.
Timothy Roberts, president of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, warned the state was 'witnessing an American-style militarisation of our police force' that moves away from community-led policing. He called for clear regulation about when and where the Armed Response Command can operate, including legislation to ensure it is not deployed at protests. NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon said at a press conference in October that he did not see the unit being deployed at protests, but Roberts said that verbal assurance was not enough.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The unit marks a significant shift in Australian policing, introducing a permanent armed presence with military-style rifles in public spaces.
- The move reflects the lasting impact of the Bondi terror attack on security policy and the debate over how to balance safety with civil liberties.
- Public acceptance and the potential for mission creep could shape future policing models across Australia.
Background
Australian police officers routinely carry handguns and Tasers, but long-arm rifles are generally reserved for specialist units. The Armed Response Command is the first permanent unit of its kind patrolling public spaces in Australia. It was created after the December Bondi massacre, where a lone shooter killed six people, and police said they were outgunned. The Jewish community had sought a dedicated police presence before the attack. New Zealand briefly armed police after the 2019 Christchurch attack but scrapped the trial after community consultation.
Key Perspectives
NSW Police: Says the unit is about preserving life and ensuring operational readiness on the community's worst day. Commissioner Mal Lanyon said he does not expect it to be deployed at protests.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry (Alex Ryvchin): Welcomes the unit, saying it will deter threats and end attacks quickly, and that body bags are worse than armed officers.
Jewish Council of Australia (Bart Shteinman): Calls for a more holistic approach to antisemitism, arguing bigger guns and harsher laws cannot eliminate the chance of another attack.
Julian Droogan (Macquarie University): Warns that hardening targets may push attacks to softer ones and questions whether armed patrols make the community feel safer.
John Battersby (Massey University): Warns of mission creep and the need for police discipline, citing New Zealand's decision not to arm patrols permanently.
Vincent Hurley (Macquarie University): Believes fewer lives might have been lost at Bondi with such a unit but concerns about community response.
Timothy Roberts (NSW Council for Civil Liberties): Warns of American-style militarisation, calls for clear regulation and legislation to prevent deployment at protests.
What to Watch
- Whether the unit is ever deployed at protests, despite the commissioner's assurance.
- Public acceptance and any change in community-police relations.
- Whether other Australian states adopt similar permanent armed patrol units.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedNSW police launched a permanent special unit in Sydney to patrol public areas with military rifles.Australia news | The Guardian: “On Sunday, the New South Wales police launched a permanent special unit to patrol tourist areas, crowded public spaces, major events, sporting matches and places of worship – armed with military rifles.”
- SupportedThe unit’s launch has drawn mixed reactions.Australia news | The Guardian: “But the decision to heavily arm the unit has been met with a mixed response from experts and civil liberties groups”
- SupportedThe unit will patrol tourist areas and public spaces following the Bondi terror attack.Australia news | The Guardian: “The new patrol unit was promised in the wake of the Bondi terror attack”
- SupportedExperts and civil liberties groups warn of mission creep and militarisation of policing.Australia news | The Guardian: “with some warning against the potential for “mission creep” and the “American-style militarisation of our police force”.”
- SupportedThe unit will include 200 specialist-trained officers, who will drive specialist cars, carry military rifles and be highly visible across Sydney.Australia news | The Guardian: “The new unit, known as the Armed Response Command, will include 200 specialist trained officers who will drive specialist cars, carry military rifles and be “highly visible” across Sydney, police have said.”
- SupportedAndrew Evans said the unit was built on the principle of “preserving life”.Australia news | The Guardian: “The unit’s commander, Det Supt Andrew Evans, said the unit was built on the principle of “preserving life”.”
- SupportedEvans said: “Operational readiness is about ensuring that if the community needs us on its worst day, we can perform at our best.”Australia news | The Guardian: ““Operational readiness is about ensuring that if the community needs us on its worst day, we can perform at our best,” he said in a media statement last week.”
- Partly supportedThe Jewish community had asked for a dedicated police presence at the Hanukah event, but only junior roaming patrol officers were in the area.Australia news | The Guardian: “The Jewish community had asked for a dedicated police presence at the Hanukah event in the days before the tragedy took place, due to the high threat level, but only junior roaming patrol officers were in the area when the shooting began.”
- SupportedA police deputy commissioner said officers were outgunned by the alleged shooters, who had rifles while police had 9mm Glock pistols.Australia news | The Guardian: “In May, the NSW police deputy commissioner David Hudson told the royal commission into antisemitism that police were outgunned at the 14 December Bondi massacre. They were armed with 9mm Glock pistols while the alleged shooters”
- SupportedDroogan said: “You cannot police your way out of the challenge of terrorism, you have to be able to address it also at the root cause.”Australia news | The Guardian: ““You cannot police your way out of the challenge of terrorism, you have to be able to address it also at the root cause,” Droogan says.”
- SupportedBattersby said police responding to emerging risks must be conscious they may bring other risks.Australia news | The Guardian: ““I think we’ve got to respond to the risks that are emerging, but when we respond to those risks, we have to be conscious that we may be bringing others,” he says.”
- SupportedHurley said he believed fewer people would have died at Bondi if an armed response command had been present.Australia news | The Guardian: “Vincent Hurley, a former NSW police officer and now lecturer in modern policing at Macquarie University, says he believes fewer people would have lost their lives at Bondi had there been an armed response command present.”