NSW Police unveil Armed Response Command unit

The New South Wales Government has unveiled the Armed Response Command (ARC), a specialized police unit designed to address evolving security threats in Sydney. Established following the Bondi Beach massacre, the unit has been allocated $94 million in funding.

At full capacity, the ARC will consist of 250 officers and 28 civilian staff. Officers will be equipped with Australian Combat Assault Rifles (ACARs) manufactured by Lithgow Arms and will utilize a fleet of state-of-the-art vehicles. The unit is intended to patrol high-risk areas, including places of worship and major public events, operating around the clock to provide a deterrent.

Premier Chris Minns stated that the unit is a response to the changing challenges facing the state, noting that the goal is to ensure police have the necessary training and equipment to respond to serious threats. The deployment follows previous concerns regarding officer safety during the Bondi attack, where standard-issue sidearms were deemed insufficient against attackers using long-arms. The ARC will take over patrols from Operation Shelter, which was established to combat rising anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents.