The NSW Nationals are calling on the Minns Labor Government to urgently expand police wanding powers in the light of recent violent attacks.
Shadow Police Minister Paul Toole said The Nationals have been championing a broader Jack’s Law to help deliver a reduction in knife crimes and improve community safety.
Jack’s Law, passed in Queensland last year, allows police in that state use hand-held metal detectors to search people without reasonable suspicion in all “Safe Night Precincts”, at public transport stations and on public transport vehicles for a two-year period.
It takes its name from 17-year-old Jack Beasley, who was stabbed to death at Surfers Paradise in 2019.
Mr Toole said NSW Labor’s wanding laws do not go far enough to protect our community.
“It’s just common sense that police should be able to wand for knives in public places at any time to help prevent knife crimes,” Mr Toole said.
“In the past few days young people studying medicine at Sydney University and innocent bystanders walking the streets of their hometown have been caught up in violent stabbings that may have been prevented if police could wand anywhere at any time.
“Given the current escalation in knife crimes, we need strong deterrents to get knives off our streets and save lives. Chris Minns should be urgently seeking to expand the wanding laws so that police are able to protect the community without having to wait for an Assistant Commissioner to declare an area and advertise the decision.”
“We are happy to work with the government to pass the necessary amendments required to keep the community safe from acts of deadly violence.”
