More than 600 people have been charged as part of a new high-profile NSW Police operation targeting the state’s most dangerous domestic violence offenders.
Operation Amarok One, an intelligence-based policing strategy, ran from Tuesday to Friday last week and involved officers from all Police Area Commands and Police Districts in NSW, as well as each region’s Domestic Violence High-Risk Offender Teams (DVHROT) and other specialist units.
During the operation, 648 people were arrested, which included 164 of NSW’s most wanted domestic violence offenders, NSW Police said in a statement.
In addition to domestic violence-related offences, police detected various other serious offences, including prohibited firearm and weapon possession, drug possession and supply, with a total of 1,153 charges laid.
Corporate Sponsor for Domestic and Family Violence, Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon, said domestic and family-related violence is the most challenging community issue of our generation.
“The NSW Police Force invests significant resources into responding to domestic and family violence; attending some 139,000 calls for assistance in 2022 – with more than 33,100 of those actual assaults and 17 domestic-related murders,” Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon said.
“We continue to battle the perception that domestic violence is a ‘family matter’ and therefore should be treated as ‘private business.’ That is certainly not the case. It is a community matter, and we all have a part to play in stopping the senseless loss of lives due to this crime.
Over the four days, police engaged with 1998 high-risk domestic violence offenders, served 655 outstanding Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVOs), completed 3,890 ADVO compliance checks and 1,324 bail compliance checks, and conducted 119 Firearms Prohibition Order (FPO) searches.
Further, police seized 19 firearms and 49 prohibited weapons, as well as various types of illicit drugs located during 116 interactions.
In one incident, officers from Murray River Police District attended a home after attempting to conduct an ADVO compliance check with an 83-year-old woman.
On arrival, police spoke with the woman and her 51-year-old relative before he was arrested. He was subsequently charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV), stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (domestic) and contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic). He has been formally refused bail to next appear at Albury Local Court on March 15th.
In a separate incident, officers from Kuring Gai Police Area Command commenced inquiries after a woman reported that she had received threats from a man known to her. She told police she had also found a tracker on her vehicle.
Following extensive inquiries, a 51-year-old man was arrested at a home at Londonderry last Wednesday. He was charged with install/use tracking device to find person no consent and stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (domestic). Police also seized registered firearms from the man’s home and his firearms licence is under review.
“Last year, we established a Domestic and Family Violence Reform Project to change the way police respond to and prevent domestic violence, with a focus of prioritising the health and well-being of victims by targeting those who perpetuate violence,” said Deputy Commissioner Lanyon.
“Research tells us that without appropriate police targeting, a person who has been charged with a strangulation or suffocation offence is likely to progress to homicide offending; this is the key focus of Operation Amarok.
“When combined with our suite of strategies, including those being developed through the reform project, Operation Amarok will significantly reduce the risk of harm to current and potential future victims.”
Corporate Owner for Domestic and Family Violence, Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith, said domestic and family violence was a complex crime type and one like no other.
“Operation Amarok will remain a state-wide offender-centric operation designed to focus on perpetrators where their intent, capability and access to victims is assessed at an elevated level of threat,” Assistant Commissioner Smith said.
“Police officers spend more time responding to and administering domestic violence matters than any other crime type. They investigate any behaviour that controls, intimidates, terrifies or coerces a victim.
“With Operation Amarok, we’ve shifted our focus to the offender and deployed our officers in the same manner as we would for any violent criminal. The operation results speak for themselves.
“In just four days, Operation Amarok saw police engage with 2000 high-risk domestic and family violence offenders, sending a strong message to all previous and potential offenders that their predatory behaviour will not be tolerated.”
Information about the NSW Police Force response to domestic and family violence, including links to victim services, can be found online: https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/crime/domestic_and_family_violence.
Reports of domestic and family-related crime or abuse can be made by contacting or attending your local police station. In an emergency, contact Triple Zero (000).
Anyone with information relating to domestic and family-related violence is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
