NEW DELHI: Police armed with long rifles - a rare sight at sporting events in Australia - will be deployed at the final Ashes Test in Sydney starting on Sunday as part of heightened security measures following the recent terror attack at Bondi Beach.
Uniformed officers, mounted police, and members of the public order and riot squads will monitor the sold-out match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The deployment comes three weeks after two gunmen opened fire at a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi, killing 15 people and injuring many others.
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New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon emphasised on Saturday that the increased presence of armed officers is meant to reassure the public, noting that there is no specific threat to the community.
"Many people may not be used to seeing police carrying rifles at sporting events, but our objective here is to help the public feel safe and police will be out in force," he said. "The difference will be in the visibility of long-arms and a stronger presence. Police will otherwise be targeting anti-social and unsafe behavior as usual."
The measures are similar to those for the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground which began December 26 where specialist police officers were armed with semiautomatic rifles and patrolled around the busy stadium, a nearby park and railway station.
Seven people remain hospitalised following the December 14 attack at Bondi. Six remain in stable condition, while one is in a critical but stable condition.
Naveed Akram, 24, one of the two accused gunmen, is facing 59 charges over the attack that includes 15 counts of murder. Akram was shot by police at the scene and spent days in a coma before being charged. His father Sajid Akram, 50, was killed by police at the scene.
(With AP Inputs)
