Wollongong Police District engaged in the most proactive checks during a recent NSW domestic violence crackdown. Photo: File.
Wollongong police have outperformed their colleagues across the state when it comes to domestic violence prevention, according to statistics recorded during a police operation.
Figures from Operation Amarok, submitted to NSW Parliament during Budget Estimates hearings, show that police interacted with offenders about twice as often in Wollongong Police District compared to other districts.
Operation Amarok was a statewide blitz targeting people flagged as high-risk and recidivist domestic violence offenders.
Wollongong recorded 709 interactions across the three-day period, which included bail and domestic violence bond checks and firearms checks, as well as responses to incidents of domestic violence.
The district with the next highest number of interactions was Hume, with 377, followed by Riverina with 320 and Lake Illawarra with 311.
Police Minister Yasmin Catley said these proactive checks were a crucial part of preventing and reducing domestic and family violence.
The data backs her up – according to statistics from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, the Wollongong Police District has a lower rate of domestic violence than half the state.
“Responding to this hideous crime is a top priority for our police who deploy a range of proactive strategies to identify and monitor perpetrators and keep victims safe,” Ms Catley said.
“Operation Amarok is a statewide blitz targeting people who have been flagged as high-risk and recidivist domestic violence offenders.
“Police have identified these offenders through previous interactions and deploy direction interventions including bail compliance checks, ADVO compliance checks and firearm prohibition orders to keep a check on individuals and help prevent future offending.
“These proactive measures send a strong message to would-be offenders that police are watching.”
The minister said police across the state received almost 150,000 calls for help with domestic and family violence related matters.
“That’s one call every four minutes,” she said.
“This shows the severity of the situation, the huge amount of police time and resources that go into addressing this epidemic and how important it is for prevention, early intervention and crisis support services to work together.”
Region Illawarra approached NSW Police for a response on Strike Force Amarok but a spokesperson declined to comment.
Original Article published by Zoe Cartwright on Region Illawarra.
