Specialist police carrying rifles have begun patrols in Sydney following the December 2025 mass shooting at Bondi Beach, BBC World reported. The deployment brings a conspicuous armed presence to tourist districts under a new Armed Response Command.
New South Wales police say the officers will also cover major sporting events and places of worship, with a mission to deter serious threats and respond quickly to armed attackers. The operation is expected eventually to have 250 officers; that figure is not the current deployment strength.
The attack on a Hanukkah gathering on December 14 killed 15 people, including a 10-year-old girl. Australia's deadliest mass shooting in nearly three decades, it prompted gun-law reforms and measures against hate speech, while putting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government under pressure to address antisemitism.
Jewish communities have welcomed the patrols, according to the BBC. Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, acknowledged discomfort about heavily armed officers but argued that preventing further deaths outweighed it.
Amnesty International Australia raised concerns about increasingly militarised policing and sought assurances that the command would not be used against peaceful demonstrations. Its representative Andrew Witheford called for publicly available rules, independent oversight and accountability.
State Police Minister Yasmin Catley defended the measures, saying the attack had fundamentally changed the country. Residents interviewed by ABC expressed differing reactions: one found the weapons unsettling, while another said the armed presence made her feel safer.