Police have seized knives and laid drugs charges in first month of Jack’s Law in Bundaberg
Police have searched 55 people in the first month of wanding operations, with one concealed weapon being seized as a man was entering a Bundaberg club.
Bundaberg
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Police have seized three knives in the first month of wanding operations since the introduction of the Jack’s Law powers to the Bundaberg Safe Night precinct.
The powers enabling police to search for concealed weapons without a warrant were extended to Safe Night Precincts throughout the state on March 30, following a 12-month trial on the Gold Coast in which 242 weapons were seized.
A Queensland Police Service spokesman said Bundaberg Police have conducted wanding operations in the Bundaberg Safe Night Precinct every weekend since June 3.
A total of 55 people have been scanned, leading to the seizure of three knives and one man being charged with drug offences as a result of the operations.
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Police said one of the concealed knives was detected while the owner was attempting to enter a licensed premises in the area.
“Most of the knives that we’ve detected here are concealed at the waistband,” Acting Sergeant South Kolan Police Tim Clark said.
“We’re lucky enough that we have been catching these weapons on the street before they go into licensed premises and venues.”
Sgt Clark said while it was “concerning” that people are seeking to take weapons into pubs and clubs, the Jack’s Law powers are helping police to ensure the safety of the public.
“It is concerning, but we’re here to assure the community of Bundaberg that they can come out in the CBD and have fun and feel safe while they’re doing so,” he said.
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In a review of the Gold Coast trial of Jack’s Law, the Griffith Criminology Institute found that some profiling may have taken place in the selection of targets for wanding, and recommended QPS provide training and guidelines to help ensure officers avoid stereotyping in wanding operations.
Sgt Clark said Bundaberg Police has received self-paced training and reference guides and are receiving regular training on the beat, with feedback from senior officers to ensure their selection of people for wanding is “purely random”.
“These wanding and scanning of persons within the Bundaberg Safe Night Precinct are purely random … we’re not to identify them through targeting,” Sgt Clark said.
Clear communication has helped to ensure that most of the people selected for wanding are supportive of police exercising the new powers in the interests of public safety.
“Initially, they‘re wondering what is actually going on, but after educating them about why we’re doing (the wanding operations) and what we’re looking for … most of the community has been on board with us and actually very happy to see us walking the beat and doing our job,” Sgt Clark said.
Liam Turner, 21, and Toby Haase, 20, both of Bundaberg, were selected for wanding by police on Saturday night.
Mr Turner has seen people carrying knives “once or twice”, and is supportive of the wanding operations in helping police to control the spread of concealed weapons.
“We hear a lot about a lot of knife crime, mainly from people younger than us, so it’s good that (police) are out here managing it,” he said.
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