Anthony Roberts
Shadow Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism
Another suspected gangland hit in Sydney has raised fresh questions about the Minns Labor Government's failure to curb escalating organised crime and keep communities safe.
A man was shot dead while sitting in a car outside a home in Carlingford early Wednesday morning, with police treating the attack as targeted and investigating possible links to organised crime.
The incident follows a string of shootings, kidnappings and firebombings across Sydney this year.
Shadow Minister for Police Anthony Roberts said communities were growing increasingly concerned about violent crime spilling into suburban streets.
"Another man has been shot dead, another suburban street has become a crime scene and once again communities are dealing with the consequences of Sydney's escalating gang war," Mr Roberts said.
"While the circumstances of this latest shooting remain under investigation, there is no denying the pattern of increasingly brazen violence playing out across our city."
Mr Roberts said recently reported public sector data has shown there are now just 176 police officers for every 100,000 people in New South Wales, down from 205 in 2019, despite the state's population continuing to grow.
"At a time when violent organised crime is becoming more brazen, NSW has fewer police officers per capita and a government that is still failing to match the scale of the threat," Mr Roberts said.
"The people of NSW deserve a government with a comprehensive plan to disrupt organised crime before another shooting, kidnapping or firebombing occurs."
A NSW Liberals and Nationals Government will create new offences targeting violence brokers and strengthen powers to identify organised crime figures and confiscate their unexplained wealth.
Our Plan will:
- Create new offences of using a violence broker or acting as a violence broker with a maximum penalty of 16 years, or 20 years if a child is involved;
- Double the funding to the NSW Crime Commission to allow it to identify more participants in organised crime and confiscate their unexplained wealth;
- Extend unexplained wealth orders so they apply to anyone reasonably suspected of acting as or using a violence broker.
