The NSW Police Force is launching the annual proactive state-wide operation targeting perpetrators of domestic and family violence to coincide with the global '16 Days of Activism' campaign.
Commencing today, on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (Friday 25 November 2022) and ending on the World Human Rights Day (Saturday 10 December 2022), the '16 Days of Activism' campaign calls for the community to 'Unite!' for much-needed change in the fight against gender-based violence, particularly towards women and girls.
The NSW Police Force is supporting the campaign through proactive policing operations, with specialist officers also taking part in awareness-raising events.
NSW Police Corporate Sponsor for Domestic and Family Violence, Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon, says that police remain committed to preventing violence, supporting victims, and ensuring perpetrators are held accountable 365 days of the year.
"Police do not just wait for reports of incidents to happen; we actively engage in proactive policing initiatives to identify, assess, and target individuals who are suspected of being repeat offenders to reduce crime," said Deputy Commissioner Lanyon.
The state-wide operation will implement a number of proactive strategies to disrupt and prevent recidivist offending and ensure the safety of victims. This includes Apprehended Domestic Violence Order compliance checks, proactive checks targeting known offenders and providing additional support to at-risk victims, with assistance from the Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Teams (DV HROT).
"We believe that gender-based violence is everyone's business. There are no innocent bystanders when it comes to domestic and family violence," said Deputy Commissioner Lanyon.
"Community attitudes and changing behaviours will make the biggest difference in reducing incidences of violence and other offences against women."
If you, or anyone you know has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence, contact your local police. In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000).
For more information on domestic and family violence or links to useful resources, please visit; https://www.police.nsw.gov.au/crime/domestic_and_family_violence.
For more information about the '16 Days of Activism', please visit: https://iwda.org.au/what-are-the-16-days-of-activism-and-why-should-you-care/
