Yasmin Catley: NSW government unleash Taskforce Falcon to hunt down violent offenders in Sydney

As Sydney reels from another gangland shooting in Parramatta, the NSW Police and Counter-Terrorism Minister has delivered an emotional call to arms and announced a new police taskforce to hunt down the scourge of violent offenders in the harbour city.

State MP Yasmin Catley described the gangs as “murderous swines” and stood side-by-side with high-ranking police officers to announce that Taskforce Falcon has officially been let off the chain.

The new taskforce has been established to investigate and try to suppress violent crime in the Sydney metropolitan area.

Taskforce Falcon will be led by State Crime Command, with the NSW Crime Commission, and will oversee investigations into public place shootings, arson attacks and kidnappings, dating back to December 2024.

In total, the taskforce will oversee and coordinate 13 strike forces and will be responsible for suppressing and disrupting those groups and individuals believed to be involved.

More than 150 officers will make up the taskforce, as well as an additional 90 staff to bolster investigative efforts and make up the proactive arm of the operation.

Ms Catley said the taskforce will target those responsible for the spate of recent violent attacks.

“The violence on our streets is horrific. We won’t tolerate these lawless thugs playing out their vendettas in our communities. When innocent people get caught up in them and are made to suffer, it’s sickening and barbaric,” Ms Catley said on Tuesday.

“Public safety is the number one priority of the NSW Government and our police. We all have the right to live our lives in our communities safe from these brazen criminals.

“Today we announce NSWPF are standing up Taskforce Falcon to deal with these murderous swine. The message is crystal clear. To those contemplating taking part in this vicious criminality, our police are coming to get you.

“You can look forward to spending a large chunk of your life in a small cell.”

Deputy Police Commissioner Dave Hudson said combining 13 investigative teams under one banner will strengthen their ability to drive down serious and violent crime.

“This taskforce is about increasing our agility and effectiveness in both crime solving and crime preventing,” Deputy Commissioner Hudson said.

“It’s about taking the expertise we already have and coordinating our response under one roof to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.

“By consolidating these strike forces, we can more efficiently make or discount connections between them, as opposed to spending lengthy amounts of time trying to determine links where none exist. That’s a smarter and faster way to deliver results for the people of NSW.

“We also recognise that preventing harm is just as important as solving it, and Taskforce Falcon will have a proactive arm dedicated to ensuring we are applying the full force of available laws to stop violent crime before it happens.

“This isn’t about waiting for the violence to escalate, this is about ensuring we are using all mechanisms available to us – such as high-visibility policing, disruption tactics and targeted enforcement – to shut down criminal activity at the earliest opportunity.

“We have the tools, we have the people, and now we have the unified platform to act swiftly and decisively towards any crook who thinks they can use the streets of Sydney as a backdrop for their callous and violent crimes.”