Police to carry long-arm rifles at final Ashes Test in Sydney amid heightened security after Bondi attack | Bondi beach terror attack

Police will carry long-armed rifles at the latest Ash Test in Sydney as police presence continues to be increased following the Bondi terror attack.

New South Wales police said public order and riot officers will carry the weapons in the fifth and final Ashes Test, which starts at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Sunday, after similar measures were implemented at the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and New Year’s Eve events in Sydney.

Police said the decision was not made due to any active or imminent threat. “Many people may not be used to seeing police carrying rifles at sporting events, but our aim here is to help the public feel safe,” NSW police commissioner Mal Lanyon said.

Policing at public events was put under the spotlight after 15 people were killed in a shooting at the Chanukah by the Sea event at Bondi beach on December 14.

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Israel offered to provide training to Australian police after the attack. In a letter to home affairs minister Tony Burke on Friday and shared online by the Jewish Association of Australia, Israeli diaspora affairs minister Amichai Chikli said an earlier letter he received from Burke “failed to directly identify radical Islam as the driving ideology behind it”. [the Bondi] attack”.

“We would welcome the opportunity to host and train senior Australian police and security personnel in Israel, sharing our expertise and best practices in combating terrorism and antisemitism,” the letter concludes.

The home affairs ministry confirmed to Guardian Australia it had received the letter but refused to share Burke’s original correspondence with Chikli and did not comment on whether the government was considering Israel’s offer.

“The government has taken action against hate speech, hate crimes and hate symbols and continues to comply with legislation announced in recent weeks,” a spokesman said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been contacted for comment.

Following the attack, NSW premier Chris Minns said the state government was considering requiring Australian defense force (ADF) troops to protect Jewish sites.

Minns also said the Jewish security organization, the Community Security Group (CSG), is considering expanding gun access, thus allowing them to carry firearms at public events such as Hanukkah by the Sea.

A crowd of approximately 48 thousand people is expected to attend the SCG for the final test of the series, in which Australia beat England 3-1.

In Melbourne, 120 police officers were sent for Boxing Day testing, as well as officers carrying semi-automatic rifles as an additional security measure following the Bondi attack.

Victoria police commissioner Mike Bush said similar deployments would be considered on a case-by-case basis at other major summer events, including the Australian Open tennis tournament.

NSW police said uniformed and mounted officers would “conduct high-visibility patrols to ensure safety and reassure the public” during the Sydney Test.

In Sydney, more than 2,500 police officers, some carrying long-armed weapons, were deployed across the Sydney metropolitan area for New Year’s Eve celebrations. NSW police described it as a “largely uneventful night”.