Police to carry weapons ‘you haven’t seen before’ at Sydney New Year events
The premier has urged Sydneysiders “to step out and do what you would ordinarily do” over the New Year period as he considers asking the army for help.
That includes the government having “a longer, deeper look” at allowing the Community Security Group to be armed in future.
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“That is a step that we haven’t taken in the past, but the truth of the matter is when it comes to ensuring that the community, the Jewish community in this case, feels safe within their own community, when they have community events, we need to be able to show and demonstrate that there is going to be security in place to deal with the threat,” Minns said.
The premier confirmed the government is considering asking for members of the army to be deployed in NSW to bolster public safety, including at synagogues and Jewish schools.
“We’re in discussions about it,” he said. “I’m not going to rule anything out.”
Minns joined Waverley Mayor Will Nemesh and NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper in calling on people to return to the area and support businesses.
“I hope all Sydneysiders can find the time to come down to Bondi over the summer period, grab a meal, go shopping, get a haircut,” Nemesh said. “It will mean more to us than you really know.”
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