A specialised police unit established after the Bondi Beach massacre will begin carrying long-armed rifles in public places in its latest phase of training.

NSW Premier Chris Minns announced the Armed Response Command unit in February.

The united, which has been allocated $94 million in funding, was established following the antisemitic attack last December in which 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach were killed.

The unit will patrol high-risk areas and be present at places of worship and major events, and operate around the clock. It will operate around the clock and have access to new specialist vehicles.

At full capacity, it will have 250 dedicated officers and 28 civilian staff.

Minns said people should expect to see the officers carrying the long-armed rifles in public as they enter the next phase of their training.

He said the unit was introduced to respond to changing security challenges.

“We hope these officers are never called on to respond to a major incident,” he said.

“But if one happens, NSW Police are ready.”

The unit will patrol high-risk areas and be seen at places of worship and major events. Photo: NSW Police

Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said unit would act as a deterrent for potential offenders.

It will take over patrols from Operation Shelter, which was established in October 2023 amid a rise in antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents in NSW.

According to its latest figures, the operation recorded 815 incidents considered antisemitic or Islamophobic as well as more than fell into neither category. More than 230 people were arrested.

The accuracy and veracity of these numbers have been questioned after it was revealed nearly 370 antisemitic incidents were incorrectly categorised dozens of times.

“The evidence is in … segments of our community feel unsafe, it’s usually because of their faith,” Minns said in February.

-AAP