NSW Police has launched a state-wide operation targeting perpetrators of domestic and family violence to support the global 16 Days of Activism (25 November – 10 December) campaign.
NSW Police Corporate Sponsor for Domestic and Family Violence, Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the campaign called on communities to unite for much-needed change in the fight against gender-based violence, particularly towards women and girls.
“The NSW Police Force is supporting the campaign through proactive policing operations, with specialist officers also taking part in awareness-raising events,” Deputy Commissioner Lanyon said.
“Police remain committed to preventing violence, supporting victims, and ensuring perpetrators are held accountable 365 days of the year,” he said.
“Police do not just wait for reports of incidents to happen; we actively engage in proactive policing initiatives to identify, assess, and target individuals who are suspected of being repeat offenders to reduce crime.”
Deputy Commissioner Lanyon said the state-wide operation would implement a number of proactive strategies to disrupt and prevent recidivist offending and ensure the safety of victims.
He said this included Apprehended Domestic Violence Order compliance checks, proactive checks targeting known offenders, and providing additional support to at-risk victims, with assistance from the Force’s Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Teams.
“We believe that gender-based violence is everyone’s business,” the Deputy Commissioner said.
“There are no innocent bystanders when it comes to domestic and family violence,” he said.
“Community attitudes and changing behaviours will make the biggest difference in reducing incidences of violence and other offences against women.”
Deputy Commissioner Lanyon encouraged anyone who was experiencing, or knew someone experiencing or at risk of, family and domestic violence to contact the police.
Further information on domestic and family violence and links to useful resources can be accessed at this PS News link.
Support for people impacted by the issues discussed in this article is available from 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 and MensLine Australia on 1300 78 99 78.
