NSW launches permanent armed response unit equipped with carbines for rapid citywide deployment

The Minns Government unveiled a permanent Armed Response Command (ARC) that will eventually consist of 250 officers and 28 civilian staff, all equipped with Australian-made carbine rifles and modern police vehicles. Officers are currently undergoing urban-combat training before entering a public learning phase on Sydney streets in the coming weeks. The move follows criticism of police capacity during the Bondi terror attack, where officers with only 9mm pistols faced heavily armed assailants.

Premier Chris Minns said the unit reflects a needed shift in policing models to protect NSW residents, while Minister Yasmin Catley said the ARC adopts global best practice after study trips to Europe. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon described ARC as a deterrent that can respond anywhere in the city at any time.