A police operation targeting domestic violence that led to the arrests of almost 1000 people and the seizure of about 100 firearms has been blasted as a “political gimmick” by an expert.
NSW Police arrested 993 people and laid 2063 charges between Wednesday and Sunday, with 299 arrest warrants executed during the statewide blitz.
Officers seized 94 guns and 48 other weapons during the latest iteration of Operation Amarok, which targets offenders with a history of domestic violence.
The scale of the problem was concerning, NSW Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Adam Johnson said.
“I'd say the actual policing operation was a success,” he told reporters on Monday.
“But wow, in relation to the number of people that were arrested, I think the message needs to get across a lot stronger to offenders and perpetrators of domestic violence."
Mr Johnson denounced domestic violence offending as a “scourge” on society, saying offenders needed to stop engaging in cowardly behaviour and victims needed to realise they could speak up.
But domestic and family violence expert Rachael Burgin said the four-day operation showed police had been slow to act, leaving more than 1000 victims vulnerable.
“Police have known about these people in the community and haven’t been acting until this blitz,” the Swinburne Law School criminology lecturer told AAP.
“It treats women’s safety as a political gimmick and not a core priority."
One of those arrested was a 41-year-old man accused of breaching an apprehended domestic violence order in February in the NSW Hunter Valley region.
Delays raised questions about whether police waited to arrest the offenders and whether victims had been exposed to increased risk as a result, Dr Burgin said.
But Mr Johnson rejected suggestions police had waited until Operation Amarok to act, stressing officers respond to a domestic violence incident every three minutes.
“It takes up around 60 per cent of police police time, so it's a concern, and it's something that we're on the front foot with always,” he said.
Mr Johnson emphasised domestic violence was a high priority for police but it had to be met with a co-ordinated community response.
“We can't arrest our way out of this,” Mr Johnson said.
Dr Burgin agreed, pushing for additional training for police officers to allow them to recognise, understand and act on their responsibilities to victims as part of a sustained focus on domestic violence.
“It’s not just about charging offenders, it’s about safety,” she said.
On Thursday, a 28-year-old Fairfield man was charged over the assault of a woman who presented to hospital with multiple stab wounds.
He was refused bail and will face the Parramatta Local Court in July.
A 51-year-old man was charged with intentionally choking a person with recklessness and many others face stalking, intimidation, assault and drug charges.
Police uncovered and seized a gel blaster pistol, a stun device, a replica firearm and prohibited drugs, including methamphetamine, pills and heroin.
Police carried out 1847 bail compliance checks and 14,318 apprehended domestic violence order compliance checks, finding 391 breaches.
An increase in charges laid by police, particularly over domestic violence charges, has driven a record-high number of people in NSW prisons.
More than 14,000 people were imprisoned in the state as of March, according to the state's Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.
Almost half of all people in custody are on remand - those charged but not convicted who are often awaiting trial - with 41 per cent of this increase attributed to those charged with domestic and family violence.
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