Armed Response Command deploys ahead of Bondi anniversary

NSW Police will begin putting officers from its new Armed Response Command onto Sydney streets in the coming weeks, with the unit expected to be operational before the first anniversary of the Bondi Beach terror attack.

The government unveiled the first look at the command on Thursday, with training underway and 24 purpose-built vehicles being delivered. Officers, rifles and specialist vehicles will become visible across Sydney as training moves out of dedicated facilities and into realistic environments.

Backed by a $94.3 million investment, the command makes Operation Shelter permanent, converting what began as a reactive surge operation into a round-the-clock rapid response unit. At full strength it will have 250 officers and 28 civilian staff, meaning police will no longer be rotated out of Police Area Commands.

Operation Shelter was launched in October 2023 in response to rising antisemitic incidents, and was dramatically expanded after the Bondi attack on December 14.

The command will be high-visibility and intelligence-led, patrolling high-risk areas and providing an increased police presence at places of worship, major events and other locations as needed. A 24/7 specialised Police Operations Centre will support it with response, coordination, training, logistics and intelligence.

Officers will have access to rifles and a fleet including BMW X5s and Toyota LandCruisers, fitted with purpose-designed gun safes. The force has selected the Australian Combat Assault Rifle, manufactured by Lithgow Small Arms in NSW, following field and endurance testing. Officers are undergoing advanced driver training.

The model was informed by a senior NSW Police delegation that travelled to the United Kingdom and Germany in January to study rapid response units there.

Premier Chris Minns said the state’s security challenges had changed and policing needed to change with them.

“We hope these officers are never called on to respond to a major incident. But if one happens, NSW Police are ready,” Minns said. “People will start seeing these officers and their vehicles around Sydney as training gets underway. This is about being prepared for the worst and making sure we can keep the community safe.”

Police Minister Yasmin Catley said the command was about backing police with the right capability to detect, prevent and respond to threats. “What we’re delivering is a rapid, 24/7 response that the community should have confidence in,” Catley said.

Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the command would be a deterrent as much as a response capability.

“ARC will not only provide a policing rapid response, but it will also be a deterrent for those who wish to commit harm, incite hatred or cause fear,” Lanyon said. “No matter where you are located across Sydney, we want all communities to feel reassured that police can be anywhere, at anytime, to keep people safe.

“The environment in NSW has changed, so the way we police the community has changed and what the community expect from us, has changed.”

Lanyon told The AJN in June that the unit would be deployed differently to general duties police, who can be tied up on an urgent domestic or a break-and-enter.

“We can’t be everywhere, but we can be anywhere,” he said at the time, adding that a car moving around an area is more of a deterrent than one parked in a known spot. Deployment would be intelligence-driven, drawing on information from community members and the CSG.

“We won’t be telling people where those units will be. In fact, I’ll expect that no one knows exactly where they are, because I want them to be present. I want them to have the ability to respond quickly.”

He said in June he expected a significant ARC presence by the Bondi anniversary, “which I think, certainly for the community, the sooner, the better”, and that Chanukah would be risk-assessed like any event but with a significant presence given what happened last year. “I want to make sure community members feel safe to go to events,” he said.

Gareth Narunsky contributed to this report.