Police seize hundreds of weapons after law expansion
In the six months since the Queensland Government expanded knife crime laws, more than 82,000 people have been scanned, with hundreds of weapons seized.
Six months since the Queensland Government expanded statewide wanding powers to allow police to scan for weapons in all public places as part of Jack’s Law, 82,648 people have been scanned, new data shows.
Further, Queensland police seized 603 weapons, made 1,280 arrests and laid 2,424 charges across Queensland. This includes 12,193 people scanned and 68 weapons seized in North Brisbane, and 7,557 people scanned and 40 weapons seized in South Brisbane.
Jack’s Law is named after 17-year-old Jack Beasley, who was fatally stabbed at Surfers Paradise in 2019.
Jack’s parents, Brett and Belinda, have been campaigning for increased weapon control in Queensland ever since.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Dan Purdie said the law’s expansion has shown real results in the prevention of knife crime in Queensland.
“Labor wanted Jack’s Law to lapse, but we made it permanent and gave police the powers they’ve been asking for, and now, other jurisdictions are following us,” Purdie said.
The Jack’s Law expansion allows police to use hand-held metal detectors in all public places.
Brett Beasley said the results reinforced the importance of the law, with every knife removed preventing a potential tragedy.
“We’ll never know whose life was protected, but we do know these laws are stopping violence before it happens,” Brett Beasley said.
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Belinda Beasley said she was grateful to the Queensland Government for ensuring her son’s legacy would endure.
“Jack’s Law is about protecting young people and giving families peace of mind,” Belinda Beasley said.
The Crisafulli Government also invested $1 million into the Jack Beasley Foundation’s ‘One Moment’ program, which ensures Queensland students continue to hear Jack’s story and understand the consequences of knife crime.
