Officers armed with assault rifles will patrol Sydney’s streets. But do more imposing police make us feel any safer?

Militarised policing ‘often results in a loss of civil liberties for the rest of the law-abiding population, who are forced to comply with orders, searches and other heavy-handed tactics’. Photograph: Ben Rushton/EPA

Chris Minns wants more visible weapons on Sydney’s streets to keep us safe.

The New South Wales premier authorised some police to carry assault rifles during this New Year’s Eve celebrations. He’s also in discussions with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, about a role for the army on the streets, while also contemplating whether the private security force that protects Jewish places – the Community Security Group – should be armed too.