NSW Police data pinpoints where most domestic violence ‘persons of interest’ are

Police data has lifted the lid of the staggering number of suspected domestic violence attackers across the state. See how many are in your area.

Police data has lifted the lid of the staggering number of suspected coward attackers identified during a statewide operation targeting domestic and family violence, with more than 10,000 under the watchful eye of authorities.

Figures released by NSW Police have pinpointed the places where the most “persons of interest” — a term generally used to describe an alleged offender — have been identified during Operation Amarok, which aims to combat soaring rates of domestic and family violence.

The figures reveal regional NSW police districts had the highest number of persons of interests identified, led by Wollongong with 709.

That area was followed by the Hume police district (377), the Riverina (320), Lake Illawarra (311) and the Central West (304).

In Sydney, the Auburn police district had the highest number of persons of interest at 296, followed by Fairfield (258), Riverstone (249), Burwood (248), Camden (245) and Parramatta (245).

Operation Amarok involves multi-day police blitzes carried out every three months, honing in on offenders classified by police as presenting an elevated level of threat to their victims.

NSW Police have released photos of raids carried out during the operation.

Photos and videos of the operations to date have shown crack teams carrying out dawn raids to targeting predators, including those who ignore court orders and bail conditions, as well as seizing weapons from properties across the state.

A total of 568 people – 402 of whom had a previous conviction – were charged during the latest operation in August.

Figures released to the NSW parliament last week showed almost half of people charged were identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

Of the 10,607 persons of interest identified by police, the figures show 427 people were aged under 18. These included 100 aged just 15.

Three-quarters of the people arrested in the latest round were male.

The police figures can be revealed at the same time separate Bureau of Crime Statistics data showed domestic-related assaults were continuing to increase in NSW.

The operation has been carried out across NSW.

There were 37,332 incidents recorded in the year to June this year – up 6.5 per cent from the previous 12-month period.

Regional NSW towns accounted for the worst locations of domestic assaults as a rate of population, with Bourke topping the list with 299 incidents in a postcode of 2389 residents.

Other hotspots included Moree, Broken Hill, Muswellbrook and Dubbo.

Figures by NSW Police have revealed the operation has identified more than 10,000 persons of interest.

Hoxton Park had the biggest increase in domestic assaults in the past year, soaring from 75 to 141. This was followed by West Ryde (up from 34 to 61), the Austral/Leppington postcode (up from 55 to 98) and Yagoona (up from 69 to 115).

The soaring rates of domestic violence are also reflected in apprehended violence order data with 39,744 protective orders approved last financial year – up more than 5000 on the same period two years ago.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said the state government was committed to addressing domestic and family violence and “recognising the pervasive, significant, and complex challenge that it presents”.

A photo of an arrest during an operation raid earlier this year.

He said the 2024-25 budget included $245.6m for an emergency package to enhance support for victim-survivors and expand programs that reduce the rate of violence against women and children.

Operation Amarok involves staff from all NSW Police area commands as well, as officers from specialist units including the domestic violence high-risk offender team, the Raptor Squad and youth command.

Yvette Vignando, the chief executive of Mary’s House Services, which provides refuge accommodation for women and children, said she was not surprised at the large number of people identified as persons of interest.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb, pictured at a press conference discussing Operation Amarok.

“It doesn’t surprise me, but it’s a very startling number,” she said.

“The fact there are so many persons of interest indicates more women are providing information to police about behaviours and also that the police service is undertaking a more concentrated job of identifying perpetrators.”

Mary's House chief executive Yvette Vignando.

Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell, the NSW Police executive sponsor for domestic and family violence, said Operation Amarok had also included a focus on education with police visiting schools for intervention programs.

“Kids are our future and teaching them about domestic violence early gives them the power to break the cycle,” he said.

The federal government has, meanwhile, pledged to spend $169.4m over four years to fund 500 “domestic violence support worker” positions. 

As of September 16, just 62 workers have been employed and working on the ground in NSW.