- 16,000 people scanned over 15 Safe Night Precincts and on public transport
- 220 weapons located
- More than 500 people charged (including cautions) on over 900 offences
- NT Government following Queensland in introducing similar laws
More than 200 weapons have been seized and 16,000 people stopped and scanned as part of policing operations to combat knife crime across Queensland.
Under Jack’s Law passed earlier this year, officers have been conducting high visibility operations in Safe Night Precincts (SNPs) on public transport and at railway and bus stations. The legislation was introduced following the stabbing death of 17-year-old Jack Beasley in 2019 on the Gold Coast, with the operations now making large public areas across the state safer.
Northern Territory Government is following in the footsteps of Queensland, recently introducing similar legislation to enable police to conduct wanding operations in public spaces.
Since being introduced, Queensland Police have scanned over 16,000 people across the state.
As an example, as a result of these wanding operations, police have located over 40 weapons in each of the following areas: North Brisbane, Gold Coast and Logan.
District | Weapons located |
North Brisbane | 42 |
South Brisbane | 18 |
Logan | 41 |
Ipswich | 34 |
Gold Coast | 41 |
Moreton | 22 |
Sunshine Coast | 4 |
Wide Bay Burnett | 3 |
Capricornia | 3 |
Mackay | 1 |
Townsville | 8 |
Far North | 3 |
Quotes attributed to Police Minister Mark Ryan:
“Weapons are being taken off our streets and the community is safer as a result of these laws and police operations.
“Too many times we have seen the devastation which can result from possessing a knife including lifelong trauma for the victims, their families, and the community which is our motivation to continue.
“These weapons aren’t just a risk to our community, but they can pose a risk to our officers who are interacting with the people carrying these weapons.
“If we’re able to make both the public and our officers feel safer, it’s an excellent outcome.”
Quotes attributed to Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Wheeler:
“We know Jack’s Law is already making our communities safer.
“While we expect to detect people carrying weapons and remove them from harm’s way, we also want to deter people from carrying knives and other weapons in the first place.
“The QPS continually assesses its response to knife crime, examining research to provide recommendations on knife crime trends including a comparison of relevant laws and point of sale measures in other state and territory jurisdictions.
“This will inform and provide evidence-based advice on any measures used in national jurisdictions to control the sale of knives.
“As we’ve seen in the past few months, people keep knives and other weapons in their person where you’d least expect. Even if it’s just a small blade or a 60-centimetre machete, it’s all a risk to the community.”
