More than 400 arrested for serious domestic violence in four days

Police have arrested and charged more than 420 people with serious domestic violence offences, during a four-day high-visibility and saturation operation targeting the state’s most dangerous and high-risk domestic violence offenders.

Operation Amarok IV, an intelligence-based policing strategy led by each region’s Domestic Violence High-Risk Offender Teams (DVHROT), ran from Wednesday (11 October 2023) until Saturday (14 October 2023) and involved officers from all police area commands and police districts in NSW, as well as various proactive and specialist units.

During this operation, 421 people were arrested, and in addition to domestic violence-related offences, various other serious offences were detected – including prohibited firearm and weapon possession, drug possession and supply – with a total of 768 charges laid.

Of those arrested, 109 were identified as amongst NSW’s most dangerous domestic violence offenders and 65 had outstanding warrants for violent offences.

Over the four days, police engaged with high-risk domestic violence offenders on 2,755 occasions, made 292 applications for Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVOs), served 403 outstanding ADVOs, completed 4,828 ADVO compliance checks and 1,071 bail compliance checks.

Officers also conducted 98 Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPOs) searches at properties linked to those who are subject to FPOs. Officers also seized 29 firearms and 13 prohibited weapons, as well as various types of illicit drugs located with 57 detections.

This operation saw the culmination of four high-visibility operations under the Amarok model. In total, police arrested 2,333 offenders, and laid more than 4,185 charges. Officers seized 95 firearms, 150 weapons, completed 19,082 ADVO compliance checks, and 5,567 DV bail compliance checks.

NSW Police Corporate Sponsor for Domestic and Family Violence, Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon, said the strategy behind Operation Amarok is working.

‘Our persistent targeting of the most dangerous domestic violence offenders is effective – we have arrested more than 2000 high-risk perpetrators, with more than half remaining behind bars remanded in custody,’ Deputy Commissioner Lanyon said.

’14 women have lost their lives in NSW in the past year as a result of domestic and family violence. There is no excuse for this – these offenders pose a significant threat to victims, to family members, to other members of the community.

‘Police must continue the tactics employed by our high-risk offender teams to target these people, the seriousness of their crimes must not be understated.’