Armed police start patrols in Sydney after Bondi Beach attack
New South Wales police have deployed the Armed Response Command to patrol Sydney's streets with long-arm rifles following a deadly mass shooting at Bondi Beach last December. While the move is intended to deter future threats and improve public safety, it has sparked debate regarding the presence of military-style weaponry in civilian spaces.
Why it matters
The deployment highlights the tension between public security measures and civil liberties in the wake of significant national trauma and rising concerns over antisemitism.
Image source, NSW Police Image caption, Armed police officers on patrol outside Sydney's Luna Park
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.
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