Teddy trackers, hacked doorbell cams and spyware: Surge in DV technology abuse
Coercive control was made an offence in NSW on July 1, 2024. The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research said there were 224 coercive control incidents reported in the nine months to March 2025.
Sixty per cent of these involved harassment, monitoring or tracking, the most common group of controlling behaviours identified, followed by threats or intimidation, financial abuse and shaming, degrading or humiliating.
In nearly 40 per cent of incidents, coercive control was the only offence recorded.
McKenna said in one instance, a child had been gifted a teddy bear with a recording device to monitor and record the victim, while in another case, an offender had FaceTimed the children for a tour of the home.
'We've seen tracking devices and spyware using children's toys,' he said.
McKenna said he was concerned about inmates contacting victims from prison, using tablets provided within the prison, or smuggled mobile phones. Those offenders were then charged with fresh offences, he said.
While technology had made it easier for perpetrators to track, survey and harass victims, it had also made it easier for police to prosecute them, he said, adding to the increase in charges.
'Especially in cases where there is a no-contact apprehended violence order, they're leaving a trail for us to follow. It's just that we have to be aware of it. So that's why we encourage people to come forward,' he said.
'Some of the main controlling behaviours is quite easy for us to identify when it's been electronically documented,' he said. New coercive control laws meant police were also on the lookout for concerning behaviour such as love-bombing and victim-blaming or other forms of emotional manipulation, McKenna said.
'We're encouraging people, if you are receiving any type of harassment or contact that you are not comfortable with, to report it to us so that we can investigate it,' he said.
On Saturday, the four-day quarterly blitz targeting high-risk domestic violence offenders, Amarok XI, wrapped up. Police carried out 1590 bail compliance checks and 12,468 apprehended domestic violence order compliance checks, identifying 669 breaches.
Amarok, led by the Domestic and Family Violence Registry, involves officers from each regions' Domestic Violence High-Risk Offenders Team, along with specialist officers from Raptor Squad, Youth Command, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and the Police Transport Command.
When the Herald earlier joined police on Amarok raids, Detective Sergeant Adam Townsend, central metropolitan region team leader of the Domestic Violence High-Risk Offender team, said his team targeted 'the worst of the worst'.
'They're usually offenders that are wanted by the police area commands, but they can't find them, so they send us a job to try and locate them,' he said.
'Most of them are known to police, they've got prior convictions and the reason they can't be found is because they're good at hiding.'
NSW Police have developed the Empower You app, designed to document abuse and provide better access to support services discreetly. It has had about 30,000 downloads. Police can use the evidence to bring charges.
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The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Stalking, choking, stabbing a mattress: Hunter domestic violence charges in blitz
POLICE have charged several people in the Hunter during a four-day statewide operation targeting domestic and family violence that made more than 800 arrests. Operation Amarok XI ran from Wednesday, August 13 to Saturday, August 16. Police charged 865 people statewide with a combined total of 2028 offences. They also executed 269 arrest warrants. In Chisholm, a 33-year-old man was arrested by Newcastle City Police District officers at a home in Redtail Street, at about 7am on Wednesday, August 13. He was taken to Maitland Police Station where he was charged with 13 offences including knowingly contravene third time in 28 days AVO (domestic), knowingly contravene prohibition/etc in AVO (domestic) (two counts), contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic) (six counts), destroy or damage property (two counts), and stalk/intimidate intent of fear physical etc harm (domestic) (two counts). He was refused bail to appear in Bail Division - Court 2 on Wednesday, August 13, where he was formally refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday, August 19. Police allege the man consistently contacted a woman known to him via text message and calls more than 30 times per day between July 21 and July 27, 2025, in breach of an ADVO. It's alleged the man attended the woman's home on multiple occasions, where he yelled at her and damaged her property. The man was arrested on August 7. He has been charged with contravening the prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic), assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV), destroying or damaging property and breach of bail. He was granted bail on August 7, and police allege he contacted the woman several times, via text message and calls upwards of 30 times per day between August 8 and August 12, 2025. In Charlestown, police arrested a 25-year-old man who was with a woman known to him at a motel on Wednesday, August 13. Police said he damaged a door before he allegedly choked the woman while armed with a knife, before he cut her hand and left the motel. The next day, the man allegedly kicked and choked the woman while armed with a knife before he stabbed the mattress she was on. The Hunter Valley Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Team began an investigation. Police allege he was wanted by police and actively avoided arrest. The man was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (domestic) (two counts), assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV), common assault, armed with intent commit indictable offence (two counts), destroy or damage property, intentionally choke etc person without consent (DV) (two counts). He was refused to appear in court on Wednesday, August 13, before he was formally refused bail to appear at Belmont Local Court on Monday, August 18. On Saturday, July 19, police allege a 30-year-old man attended the Wyongah home of a woman known to him, where he was refused entry, before he struck the woman with a broom. He left and returned to the home, allegedly smashing a window with the broom. The woman contacted police, who began an investigation. The man was arrested and charged with common assault (DV), contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic), destroy or damage property (DV) and fail to appear in accordance with bail acknowledgment. He was given bail to appear before Wyong Local Court on July 30; however, he allegedly failed to appear, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The Hunter Valley Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Team located and arrested the man in Gorokan on August 13 before he was taken to Wyong Police Station and charged with an outstanding warrant. The man was refused bail to appear at Bail Division - Court 6 Local Court on Wednesday, August 13, where he was granted conditional bail to appear at Wyong Local Court on Thursday, August 28 . A 44-year-old man was arrested on Queen Street, Rutherford at about 3pm on August 15 by officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District. The man was wanted for a number of serious domestic violence offences, including choking a woman known to him. Police allege that the woman lost consciousness during one of the assaults. He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Saturday, August 16. At about 9.20pm on Saturday, August 16, officers from Tuggerah Lakes Police District arrested a 46-year-old man at a home on West Kahala Avenue, Budgewoi. Police allege the man had breached an ADVO and Supreme Court bail conditions by contacting a woman known to him. He made a number of threats to officers when arrested, police said. He was taken to Wyong Police Station and charged with contravening a prohibition/restriction in an AVO and intimidating a police officer in the execution of their duty without actual bodily harm. He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday, August 17. Operation Amarok is an intelligence-led, offender-focused operation that aims to ensure the safety and wellbeing of domestic and family violence victims and the broader NSW community. This year, police conducted 1590 bail compliance checks and 12,468 apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO) compliance checks as part of the blitz. They identified a total of 669 breaches. Officers also conducted 144 firearms prohibition order (FPO) searches, with 87 firearms and 31 weapons seized. The Domestic and Family Violence Command-led operation involved officers from each region's Domestic Violence High Risk Offenders Team (DVHROT), along with specialist officers from Raptor Squad, Youth Command, State Crime Command's Child Protection Register, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, and the Police Transport Command. Domestic and Family Violence Corporate Sponsor, Acting Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna, said police had a relentless focus to find and arrest the most dangerous domestic violence offenders through Operation Amarok. "This is the 11th Operation Amarok, and we remain committed to going after the worst of the worst domestic and family violence offenders who think they can hide," he said. "Police are called to an incident of domestic violence every three minutes in NSW, and we need to ask ourselves as a society, why do we keep putting up with this? There should be absolutely no tolerance for this type of offending. "We encourage anyone to come forward to the police and report their concerns; we will investigate." POLICE have charged several people in the Hunter during a four-day statewide operation targeting domestic and family violence that made more than 800 arrests. Operation Amarok XI ran from Wednesday, August 13 to Saturday, August 16. Police charged 865 people statewide with a combined total of 2028 offences. They also executed 269 arrest warrants. In Chisholm, a 33-year-old man was arrested by Newcastle City Police District officers at a home in Redtail Street, at about 7am on Wednesday, August 13. He was taken to Maitland Police Station where he was charged with 13 offences including knowingly contravene third time in 28 days AVO (domestic), knowingly contravene prohibition/etc in AVO (domestic) (two counts), contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic) (six counts), destroy or damage property (two counts), and stalk/intimidate intent of fear physical etc harm (domestic) (two counts). He was refused bail to appear in Bail Division - Court 2 on Wednesday, August 13, where he was formally refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday, August 19. Police allege the man consistently contacted a woman known to him via text message and calls more than 30 times per day between July 21 and July 27, 2025, in breach of an ADVO. It's alleged the man attended the woman's home on multiple occasions, where he yelled at her and damaged her property. The man was arrested on August 7. He has been charged with contravening the prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic), assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV), destroying or damaging property and breach of bail. He was granted bail on August 7, and police allege he contacted the woman several times, via text message and calls upwards of 30 times per day between August 8 and August 12, 2025. In Charlestown, police arrested a 25-year-old man who was with a woman known to him at a motel on Wednesday, August 13. Police said he damaged a door before he allegedly choked the woman while armed with a knife, before he cut her hand and left the motel. The next day, the man allegedly kicked and choked the woman while armed with a knife before he stabbed the mattress she was on. The Hunter Valley Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Team began an investigation. Police allege he was wanted by police and actively avoided arrest. The man was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (domestic) (two counts), assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV), common assault, armed with intent commit indictable offence (two counts), destroy or damage property, intentionally choke etc person without consent (DV) (two counts). He was refused to appear in court on Wednesday, August 13, before he was formally refused bail to appear at Belmont Local Court on Monday, August 18. On Saturday, July 19, police allege a 30-year-old man attended the Wyongah home of a woman known to him, where he was refused entry, before he struck the woman with a broom. He left and returned to the home, allegedly smashing a window with the broom. The woman contacted police, who began an investigation. The man was arrested and charged with common assault (DV), contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic), destroy or damage property (DV) and fail to appear in accordance with bail acknowledgment. He was given bail to appear before Wyong Local Court on July 30; however, he allegedly failed to appear, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The Hunter Valley Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Team located and arrested the man in Gorokan on August 13 before he was taken to Wyong Police Station and charged with an outstanding warrant. The man was refused bail to appear at Bail Division - Court 6 Local Court on Wednesday, August 13, where he was granted conditional bail to appear at Wyong Local Court on Thursday, August 28 . A 44-year-old man was arrested on Queen Street, Rutherford at about 3pm on August 15 by officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District. The man was wanted for a number of serious domestic violence offences, including choking a woman known to him. Police allege that the woman lost consciousness during one of the assaults. He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Saturday, August 16. At about 9.20pm on Saturday, August 16, officers from Tuggerah Lakes Police District arrested a 46-year-old man at a home on West Kahala Avenue, Budgewoi. Police allege the man had breached an ADVO and Supreme Court bail conditions by contacting a woman known to him. He made a number of threats to officers when arrested, police said. He was taken to Wyong Police Station and charged with contravening a prohibition/restriction in an AVO and intimidating a police officer in the execution of their duty without actual bodily harm. He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday, August 17. Operation Amarok is an intelligence-led, offender-focused operation that aims to ensure the safety and wellbeing of domestic and family violence victims and the broader NSW community. This year, police conducted 1590 bail compliance checks and 12,468 apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO) compliance checks as part of the blitz. They identified a total of 669 breaches. Officers also conducted 144 firearms prohibition order (FPO) searches, with 87 firearms and 31 weapons seized. The Domestic and Family Violence Command-led operation involved officers from each region's Domestic Violence High Risk Offenders Team (DVHROT), along with specialist officers from Raptor Squad, Youth Command, State Crime Command's Child Protection Register, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, and the Police Transport Command. Domestic and Family Violence Corporate Sponsor, Acting Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna, said police had a relentless focus to find and arrest the most dangerous domestic violence offenders through Operation Amarok. "This is the 11th Operation Amarok, and we remain committed to going after the worst of the worst domestic and family violence offenders who think they can hide," he said. "Police are called to an incident of domestic violence every three minutes in NSW, and we need to ask ourselves as a society, why do we keep putting up with this? There should be absolutely no tolerance for this type of offending. "We encourage anyone to come forward to the police and report their concerns; we will investigate." POLICE have charged several people in the Hunter during a four-day statewide operation targeting domestic and family violence that made more than 800 arrests. Operation Amarok XI ran from Wednesday, August 13 to Saturday, August 16. Police charged 865 people statewide with a combined total of 2028 offences. They also executed 269 arrest warrants. In Chisholm, a 33-year-old man was arrested by Newcastle City Police District officers at a home in Redtail Street, at about 7am on Wednesday, August 13. He was taken to Maitland Police Station where he was charged with 13 offences including knowingly contravene third time in 28 days AVO (domestic), knowingly contravene prohibition/etc in AVO (domestic) (two counts), contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic) (six counts), destroy or damage property (two counts), and stalk/intimidate intent of fear physical etc harm (domestic) (two counts). He was refused bail to appear in Bail Division - Court 2 on Wednesday, August 13, where he was formally refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday, August 19. Police allege the man consistently contacted a woman known to him via text message and calls more than 30 times per day between July 21 and July 27, 2025, in breach of an ADVO. It's alleged the man attended the woman's home on multiple occasions, where he yelled at her and damaged her property. The man was arrested on August 7. He has been charged with contravening the prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic), assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV), destroying or damaging property and breach of bail. He was granted bail on August 7, and police allege he contacted the woman several times, via text message and calls upwards of 30 times per day between August 8 and August 12, 2025. In Charlestown, police arrested a 25-year-old man who was with a woman known to him at a motel on Wednesday, August 13. Police said he damaged a door before he allegedly choked the woman while armed with a knife, before he cut her hand and left the motel. The next day, the man allegedly kicked and choked the woman while armed with a knife before he stabbed the mattress she was on. The Hunter Valley Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Team began an investigation. Police allege he was wanted by police and actively avoided arrest. The man was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (domestic) (two counts), assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV), common assault, armed with intent commit indictable offence (two counts), destroy or damage property, intentionally choke etc person without consent (DV) (two counts). He was refused to appear in court on Wednesday, August 13, before he was formally refused bail to appear at Belmont Local Court on Monday, August 18. On Saturday, July 19, police allege a 30-year-old man attended the Wyongah home of a woman known to him, where he was refused entry, before he struck the woman with a broom. He left and returned to the home, allegedly smashing a window with the broom. The woman contacted police, who began an investigation. The man was arrested and charged with common assault (DV), contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic), destroy or damage property (DV) and fail to appear in accordance with bail acknowledgment. He was given bail to appear before Wyong Local Court on July 30; however, he allegedly failed to appear, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The Hunter Valley Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Team located and arrested the man in Gorokan on August 13 before he was taken to Wyong Police Station and charged with an outstanding warrant. The man was refused bail to appear at Bail Division - Court 6 Local Court on Wednesday, August 13, where he was granted conditional bail to appear at Wyong Local Court on Thursday, August 28 . A 44-year-old man was arrested on Queen Street, Rutherford at about 3pm on August 15 by officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District. The man was wanted for a number of serious domestic violence offences, including choking a woman known to him. Police allege that the woman lost consciousness during one of the assaults. He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Saturday, August 16. At about 9.20pm on Saturday, August 16, officers from Tuggerah Lakes Police District arrested a 46-year-old man at a home on West Kahala Avenue, Budgewoi. Police allege the man had breached an ADVO and Supreme Court bail conditions by contacting a woman known to him. He made a number of threats to officers when arrested, police said. He was taken to Wyong Police Station and charged with contravening a prohibition/restriction in an AVO and intimidating a police officer in the execution of their duty without actual bodily harm. He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday, August 17. Operation Amarok is an intelligence-led, offender-focused operation that aims to ensure the safety and wellbeing of domestic and family violence victims and the broader NSW community. This year, police conducted 1590 bail compliance checks and 12,468 apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO) compliance checks as part of the blitz. They identified a total of 669 breaches. Officers also conducted 144 firearms prohibition order (FPO) searches, with 87 firearms and 31 weapons seized. The Domestic and Family Violence Command-led operation involved officers from each region's Domestic Violence High Risk Offenders Team (DVHROT), along with specialist officers from Raptor Squad, Youth Command, State Crime Command's Child Protection Register, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, and the Police Transport Command. Domestic and Family Violence Corporate Sponsor, Acting Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna, said police had a relentless focus to find and arrest the most dangerous domestic violence offenders through Operation Amarok. "This is the 11th Operation Amarok, and we remain committed to going after the worst of the worst domestic and family violence offenders who think they can hide," he said. "Police are called to an incident of domestic violence every three minutes in NSW, and we need to ask ourselves as a society, why do we keep putting up with this? There should be absolutely no tolerance for this type of offending. "We encourage anyone to come forward to the police and report their concerns; we will investigate." POLICE have charged several people in the Hunter during a four-day statewide operation targeting domestic and family violence that made more than 800 arrests. Operation Amarok XI ran from Wednesday, August 13 to Saturday, August 16. Police charged 865 people statewide with a combined total of 2028 offences. They also executed 269 arrest warrants. In Chisholm, a 33-year-old man was arrested by Newcastle City Police District officers at a home in Redtail Street, at about 7am on Wednesday, August 13. He was taken to Maitland Police Station where he was charged with 13 offences including knowingly contravene third time in 28 days AVO (domestic), knowingly contravene prohibition/etc in AVO (domestic) (two counts), contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic) (six counts), destroy or damage property (two counts), and stalk/intimidate intent of fear physical etc harm (domestic) (two counts). He was refused bail to appear in Bail Division - Court 2 on Wednesday, August 13, where he was formally refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday, August 19. Police allege the man consistently contacted a woman known to him via text message and calls more than 30 times per day between July 21 and July 27, 2025, in breach of an ADVO. It's alleged the man attended the woman's home on multiple occasions, where he yelled at her and damaged her property. The man was arrested on August 7. He has been charged with contravening the prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic), assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV), destroying or damaging property and breach of bail. He was granted bail on August 7, and police allege he contacted the woman several times, via text message and calls upwards of 30 times per day between August 8 and August 12, 2025. In Charlestown, police arrested a 25-year-old man who was with a woman known to him at a motel on Wednesday, August 13. Police said he damaged a door before he allegedly choked the woman while armed with a knife, before he cut her hand and left the motel. The next day, the man allegedly kicked and choked the woman while armed with a knife before he stabbed the mattress she was on. The Hunter Valley Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Team began an investigation. Police allege he was wanted by police and actively avoided arrest. The man was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (domestic) (two counts), assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV), common assault, armed with intent commit indictable offence (two counts), destroy or damage property, intentionally choke etc person without consent (DV) (two counts). He was refused to appear in court on Wednesday, August 13, before he was formally refused bail to appear at Belmont Local Court on Monday, August 18. On Saturday, July 19, police allege a 30-year-old man attended the Wyongah home of a woman known to him, where he was refused entry, before he struck the woman with a broom. He left and returned to the home, allegedly smashing a window with the broom. The woman contacted police, who began an investigation. The man was arrested and charged with common assault (DV), contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (domestic), destroy or damage property (DV) and fail to appear in accordance with bail acknowledgment. He was given bail to appear before Wyong Local Court on July 30; however, he allegedly failed to appear, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The Hunter Valley Domestic Violence High Risk Offender Team located and arrested the man in Gorokan on August 13 before he was taken to Wyong Police Station and charged with an outstanding warrant. The man was refused bail to appear at Bail Division - Court 6 Local Court on Wednesday, August 13, where he was granted conditional bail to appear at Wyong Local Court on Thursday, August 28 . A 44-year-old man was arrested on Queen Street, Rutherford at about 3pm on August 15 by officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District. The man was wanted for a number of serious domestic violence offences, including choking a woman known to him. Police allege that the woman lost consciousness during one of the assaults. He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Saturday, August 16. At about 9.20pm on Saturday, August 16, officers from Tuggerah Lakes Police District arrested a 46-year-old man at a home on West Kahala Avenue, Budgewoi. Police allege the man had breached an ADVO and Supreme Court bail conditions by contacting a woman known to him. He made a number of threats to officers when arrested, police said. He was taken to Wyong Police Station and charged with contravening a prohibition/restriction in an AVO and intimidating a police officer in the execution of their duty without actual bodily harm. He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court on Sunday, August 17. Operation Amarok is an intelligence-led, offender-focused operation that aims to ensure the safety and wellbeing of domestic and family violence victims and the broader NSW community. This year, police conducted 1590 bail compliance checks and 12,468 apprehended domestic violence order (ADVO) compliance checks as part of the blitz. They identified a total of 669 breaches. Officers also conducted 144 firearms prohibition order (FPO) searches, with 87 firearms and 31 weapons seized. The Domestic and Family Violence Command-led operation involved officers from each region's Domestic Violence High Risk Offenders Team (DVHROT), along with specialist officers from Raptor Squad, Youth Command, State Crime Command's Child Protection Register, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, and the Police Transport Command. Domestic and Family Violence Corporate Sponsor, Acting Deputy Commissioner Peter McKenna, said police had a relentless focus to find and arrest the most dangerous domestic violence offenders through Operation Amarok. "This is the 11th Operation Amarok, and we remain committed to going after the worst of the worst domestic and family violence offenders who think they can hide," he said. "Police are called to an incident of domestic violence every three minutes in NSW, and we need to ask ourselves as a society, why do we keep putting up with this? There should be absolutely no tolerance for this type of offending. "We encourage anyone to come forward to the police and report their concerns; we will investigate."
Sydney Morning Herald
9 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Teddy trackers, hacked doorbell cams and spyware: Surge in DV technology abuse
Technology-facilitated abuse crimes have surged and perpetrators are getting creative with technology and even confronting victims from within prison. Police say they've seen examples of doorbell cameras being used to survey victims, toys gifted to children containing covert cameras, and AirTags hidden in car doors to track movement. The disturbing examples were shared as police charged 865 people with 2028 offences in their Operation Amarok XI raids, a statewide crackdown on high-risk domestic violence perpetrators. One Inner West man arrested had allegedly contacted a woman known to him 668 times between May and August from inside a prison, breaching an apprehended violence order. Another man, from Sydney's west, is accused of distributing an intimate image of a woman known to him, damaging her belongings and threatening or intimidating her over two months. A key focus of police efforts, Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said, had been catching perpetrators attempting to harass or intimidate their victims. They can now be charged under new stalking and coercive control laws. There had been an additional 882 stalking and intimidation offences recorded between this year and last, McKenna said, driven by new coercive control legislation, as well as expanding the definition of stalking to include tracking devices. 'It's that power that they can exert on someone whilst they're not even in their physical presence. It's keeping people in fear, not knowing when this person might still come. It's keeping at the forefront of their mind the power base they have over them,' he said.
The Age
9 hours ago
- The Age
Teddy trackers, hacked doorbell cams and spyware: Surge in DV technology abuse
McKenna said police were called to a domestic violence incident every three minutes in NSW. Coercive control was made an offence in NSW on July 1, 2024. The NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research said there were 224 coercive control incidents reported in the nine months to March 2025. Sixty per cent of these involved harassment, monitoring or tracking, the most common group of controlling behaviours identified, followed by threats or intimidation, financial abuse and shaming, degrading or humiliating. In nearly 40 per cent of incidents, coercive control was the only offence recorded. McKenna said in one instance, a child had been gifted a teddy bear with a recording device to monitor and record the victim, while in another case, an offender had FaceTimed the children for a tour of the home. 'We've seen tracking devices and spyware using children's toys,' he said. McKenna said he was concerned about inmates contacting victims from prison, using tablets provided within the prison, or smuggled mobile phones. Those offenders were then charged with fresh offences, he said. While technology had made it easier for perpetrators to track, survey and harass victims, it had also made it easier for police to prosecute them, he said, adding to the increase in charges. 'Especially in cases where there is a no-contact apprehended violence order, they're leaving a trail for us to follow. It's just that we have to be aware of it. So that's why we encourage people to come forward,' he said. 'Some of the main controlling behaviours is quite easy for us to identify when it's been electronically documented,' he said. New coercive control laws meant police were also on the lookout for concerning behaviour such as love-bombing and victim-blaming or other forms of emotional manipulation, McKenna said. 'We're encouraging people, if you are receiving any type of harassment or contact that you are not comfortable with, to report it to us so that we can investigate it,' he said. On Saturday, the four-day quarterly blitz targeting high-risk domestic violence offenders, Amarok XI, wrapped up. Police carried out 1590 bail compliance checks and 12,468 apprehended domestic violence order compliance checks, identifying 669 breaches. Amarok, led by the Domestic and Family Violence Registry, involves officers from each regions' Domestic Violence High-Risk Offenders Team, along with specialist officers from Raptor Squad, Youth Command, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and the Police Transport Command. When the Herald earlier joined police on Amarok raids, Detective Sergeant Adam Townsend, central metropolitan region team leader of the Domestic Violence High-Risk Offender team, said his team targeted 'the worst of the worst'. 'They're usually offenders that are wanted by the police area commands, but they can't find them, so they send us a job to try and locate them,' he said. 'Most of them are known to police, they've got prior convictions and the reason they can't be found is because they're good at hiding.' NSW Police have developed the Empower You app, designed to document abuse and provide better access to support services discreetly. It has had about 30,000 downloads. Police can use the evidence to bring charges.
