Starting Feb. 25, the New South Wales (NSW) Minns Labor government will introduce a permanent policing unit with officers armed with high-powered rifles to monitor places of worship, major events, and high-risk locations.

The decision is part of the ongoing response to the Bondi Beach terror attack that killed 15 and injured 40 others at a Hanukkah event on Dec. 14, 2025.

Operation Shelter was first launched in October 2023 to combat ongoing anti-Semitic or Islamophobic incidents.

It will be staffed with 250 police officers, 28 civilian staff, and a fleet of specially modified rapid-response vehicles.

“People want to see police where it matters, at major events, near places of worship and in busy public spaces,” said NSW Premier Chriss Minns, in a statement on Feb. 25.

“This ensures that presence is consistent, because our security challenges have changed and our policing model needs to change with them.”

Learning From Europe

Senior NSW Police members travelled to Germany and the United Kingdom in January to study “best practice in policing and emergency management.”

One key difference is NSW Police currently depends on temporary surge operations to combat crime.

“Similar specialised police units are already operational overseas and form an important part of public safety operations in several countries in Europe,” said Mal Lanyon, NSW police commissioner.

“Our priority is not only ensuring the community is safe, but that people also feel safe, while providing a deterrence to anyone who wants to do harm and support our frontline operational police.”