The Queensland Government has given police more powers to search for weapons on the streets. Photo: Queensland Police Service.
The Queensland Police Service has launched a crackdown on knives and violent crime on the Gold Coast as Schoolies begins.
As thousands of young people head to the Gold Coast, Queensland police officers have begun an intensive wanding operation to search for weapons carried by school leavers.
Under the aegis of Jack’s Law, officers are scanning individuals with metal-detecting devices called wands in an effort to reduce knife crime.
The law enables officers to use the wands in all public areas in which knife crime may be a risk.
Jack’s Law was brought in to honour the legacy of 17-year-old Jack Beasley, who was fatally stabbed in Surfers Paradise in 2019.
In the past four months, operations under Jack’s Law have delivered strong results, with more than 60,000 people scanned and 426 weapons removed from the streets, averaging four a day.
During that time, police have arrested 928 people on 1741 charges.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Dan Purdie met frontline officers in Surfers Paradise to check the progress of operations.
“We promised Queenslanders safer communities, and that means giving police the powers they need to prevent knife crime, keep Schoolies safe, and honour Jack’s legacy,” Mr Purdie said.
“Jack’s Law is now permanent, and police can use these metal-detecting wands across the state — not just in prescribed areas.”
The operation coincided with the unveiling of two new police vehicles specially designed for wanding operations to detect knives.
“This is about detecting and deterring knife crime before it happens,” Mr Purdie said.
Jack’s parents, Brett and Belinda Beasley, joined Mr Purdie and said the laws being enforced at Schoolies were important to keep young people safe.
“We made a promise to Jack that something good would come from this tragedy, and now, thanks to this law, lives will be saved,” the Beasleys said.
“Every knife detected is a life potentially saved. We’ll never know who those young people are, but we know they’re out there, and that’s why we continue this fight.”
Acting Chief Superintendent Brett Jackson said ensuring the safety of Schoolies visitors was a priority for the police.
“Wanding operations under Jack’s Law have become a vital tool in preventing serious harm,” he said.
“They allow us to detect weapons early, intervene quickly, and reassure the community that we’re doing everything we can to keep violent crime out of our public spaces.”
The Crisafulli State Government expanded Jack’s Law and made it permanent in July, while the previous Labor government had set a planned expiry date for the legislation.
