A new police unit armed with military assault rifles has started patrolling the streets of Sydney, in an Australian-first measure put in place in response to the Bondi Beach attack last December.
Armed Response Command will deploy to major events, crowded public spaces, sporting venues and places of worship to conduct “high visibility” patrols, NSW State Police said. The A$94 million ($66.08 million) unit is made up of 250 police officers armed with Australian assault rifles.
The measure is the first of its kind in Australia, where the presence of heavily armed police is rare.
“The tragic events in Bondi demonstrated the devastating consequences when a suspected armed offender attacks innocent people,” said unit commander, Detective Superintendent Andrew Evans.
“The ARC is ensuring we have highly trained officers in the right places, equipped with the right equipment, ready to act when seconds count.”
Amnesty International Australia said the introduction of heavily armed police patrols in Sydney raised “serious questions about the increasing militarization of law enforcement and the safeguards in place to protect human rights”.
Gn world
