The Queensland Government has expanded Jack’s Law and made it permanent, giving police more powers to scan people and seize weapons. Photo: Queensland Police Service.
In the six months since the expansion of Jack’s Law, the Queensland Police Service has scanned 82,648 people, seized 603 weapons, made 1280 arrests and laid 2424 charges across the state.
The Queensland Government says new data shows a sharp increase in the use of “wanding powers” compared with the same six-month period the previous year, when laws regarding the issue were restricted and temporary.
The expansion of Jack’s Law enables police to use hand-held metal detectors in all public places, whereas previously they were restricted to a limited list of prescribed locations.
Under the Labor government, 28,336 people were scanned and 255 weapons removed. Since the Crisafulli Government created permanent, statewide powers, the state’s police have completed 54,312 additional scans and seized 348 more weapons.
“In just six months, Queensland police have scanned 82,648 people and taken 603 weapons off our streets — that’s real prevention, not rhetoric, which Queenslanders saw during Labor’s decade of decline,” Minister for Police and Emergency Services Dan Purdie said.
“Every weapon seized is a potential life saved, and that’s how we honour Jack Beasley’s legacy.”
The intention of the powers was to give police the ability, powers, tools and authority to prevent knife crime.
Measures and police actions taken statewide include:
- 6522 people scanned and 61 weapons seized in Far North Queensland
- 1217 people scanned and 10 weapons seized in Mount Isa
- 7932 people scanned and 99 weapons seized in Townsville
- 2876 people scanned and 21 weapons seized in Capricornia
- 4194 people scanned and 10 weapons seized in Mackay, Whitsunday
- 1445 people scanned and 0 weapons found in the South-West
- 826 people scanned and 14 weapons seized in Wide Bay Burnett
- 3206 people scanned and three weapons seized on the Sunshine Coast
- 5537 people scanned and 30 weapons seized in Logan
- 17,362 people scanned and 159 weapons seized on the Gold Coast.
Jack’s Law is named in honour of 17-year-old Jack Beasley, who was stabbed at Surfers Paradise in 2019. His parents have since campaigned to prevent other families from experiencing the same loss.
“Every knife removed from the street is a potential tragedy prevented,” Jack’s father, Brett Beasley, said.
“We’ll never know whose life was protected, but we do know these laws are stopping violence before it happens.”
The Crisafulli Government has also invested $1 million in the Jack Beasley Foundation’s One Moment program, which brings Jack’s story to Queensland’s students so they may understand the consequences of knife crime.
