In order to protect the infant town against thieves and petty criminals after dark, Governor Arthur Phillip authorised the formation of a nightwatch in August 1789, consisting of eight of the best-behaved convicts.

After conflict in 1824 with the Wiradjuri people around Bathurst and Mudgee, the colonial authorities in New South Wales recognised the need for a mounted force to maintain control on the frontier.

Constable O'Grady was taken ill with cholera when, on 9 April 1866, he left his sick-bed to confront the Clarke gang, which was incorrectly renowned as being the "bloodiest bushrangers" of the colony of NSW and of Australia.

Constable Ernest Charles Day (later the Inspector General of Police) showed courage under fire when he shot and captured bushranger Hobson, who was later executed by hanging.

[27] Within 24 hours, the Premier announced that all Police would wear firearms at all times while on duty to prevent the escape of felons and to place them on an equal footing with armed criminals.

[28] In 1979, the NSW government of Neville Wran called on Justice Edwin Lusher, a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales to chair a commission of inquiry into police administration.

In 2003, Strike Force Emblems was established in response to allegations that warrants were improperly obtained during Operation Mascot, an investigation into police corruption in the late 1990s.

[37] On 2 October 2015, 15-year-old Iraqi-Kurdish boy Farhad Khalil Mohammad Jabar shot dead Curtis Cheng, a 58-year-old accountant who worked for the NSW Police Force, outside their Parramatta headquarters.

PTC officers deploy across public transport based on criminal intelligence and targeting known hot spots, in addition to conducting operations during high traffic events.

Project Servator officers are specially trained to spot tell-tale signs that someone is planning or preparing to commit a crime, and work to empower the public to remain vigilant and report when they see something unusual or suspicious.

The MAC is responsible for the waters up to 200 nautical miles off the NSW coast and operates 11 sea going vessels, including the OPV Nemesis the largest purpose built Police boat in the Southern Hemisphere.

Its capabilities include conducting rescue operations, accessing and restraining suicidal persons and illegal demonstrators in precarious situations such as atop buildings, co-ordination of land searches for missing persons, conducting complex body recoveries (such as people down cliffs) and crime scene support, including scene preservation, evidence protection and assisting investigators with logistics such as lighting and tents.

This is achieved with proactive investigations and intelligence-based, high-impact policing operations with the intention of preventing and disrupting conflicts, and prosecuting and dismantling networks engaged in serious criminal activity.

The squad investigates complex cyber offences requiring advanced technical skill and capability, and processes all reports received through the Reportcyber portal, determining the appropriate course of action.

[62][63] is responsible for investigating robbery, extortion, kidnap for ransom, product contamination and other serious property crime, including major break in offences on commercial premises.

[64] Consists of a small task force of police motorcyclists, with the primary objective of providing VIP escort services for visiting dignitaries and heads of state.

[76] The .38 caliber Smith & Wesson Model 10 was formerly standard issue, before the work of Task Force ALPHA 1992 and the research testing and report done by senior constable Darren Stewart, who recommended the introduction of the Glock 22 and its variants.

[97] The much larger Cessna 208 Grand Caravan, callsign Polair 7, provides Police with a long-range, heavy lift capability allowing for the transport of cargo, specialist equipment and personnel during extensive search and rescue incidents, which is ideal for use in remote locations across the state.

[107][108] NSW Police applicants must have enrolled in and completed the University Certificate in Workforce Essentials (UCWE), a four-week course run by Charles Sturt University, which introduces students to communication, resolving conflict with communication skills, legal framework, crime and policing, writing documents, ethical practices, cultural diversity, leadership and teamwork, workplace practices and obligations, technology, personal resilience, and safe driving.

Promotion to the rank of Senior Constable is not merit-based and can be obtained after five years of service and requires the officer to pass an examination that can cover a broad area of policing knowledge.

Leading Senior Constable is a merit-based rank that primarily sees an officer in a training role and belongs to a specific unit or duty type of which there is a limited number with progression to such being competitive and non-transferable.

Members seeking placement on a promotion list must have spent the requisite time at the rank below, which is at least two years, and must have successfully completed the relevant pre-qualifying assessment examinations, an applicant evaluation and must meet the eligibility program.

On completing at least three years but usually more as a sergeant and the relevant assessments, including an exam and interview, an officer may be appointed to the rank of "Inspector" and issued a certificate of commission under the Commissioner's hand and seal.

On 3 May 1996, then Detective Senior Constable Sparkes rescued a boy trapped in a flooded underground storm water drain following record rainfalls at Coffs Harbour.

[127] In 2020, Senior Constable Andrew Murphy was attached to Strike Force Raptor; a unit tasked with disrupting, dismantling and investigating OMCG activity in NSW was found 'not currently suitable for contact with the general public' after an altercation with a female driver during a vehicle stop.

[131] This contradicted what Barilaro had earlier told Sky News Australia host Tom Connell, saying that he had not requested the Fixated Persons Unit become involved in the matter.

[132][133] Following the introduction of a controversial law in 2001, NSW Police were given the power to deploy drug detection dogs at major public events such as music festivals, inside licensed premises (venues that serve alcohol) and at stations across the Sydney Trains network.

[136] In late 2014, reports were first published alleging that NSW Police were routinely using drug detection dog indications as a justification for conducting invasive strip searches, particularly at major events such as music festivals.

[151][152][153] After stripping partially or completely naked, individuals have reportedly been asked to do things such as lift their breasts or genitals,[150][146][141] bend over,[154][149][140]: 4 [155] spread their buttocks apart[156][157] or squat and cough.

In a final report handed down in December 2020, the Commission found that "a recurrent issue throughout the inquiry was the failure of officers to comply with, or at least to properly account for their compliance with, the legal thresholds for conducting a strip search".