Question Time blog: How brutal death inspired Qld knife crackdown

Knife detection laws inspired by the stabbing murder of a Gold Coast teenager are set to pass parliament. 

Knife detection laws inspired by the stabbing murder of a Gold Coast teenager are set to pass parliament on Thursday, with Police Minister Mark Ryan affirming police were “ready” to implement them.

The laws would allow police officers to use metal detection wands to search people for weapons at safe night precincts, public transport stations and in vehicles.

Jack Beasley.

The amendment to the police powers and responsibilities bill was inspired by the horrific stabbing death of 17-year-old Jack Beasley on the Gold Coast in 2019.

Police Minister Mark Ryan, speaking in parliament as the Beasley family watched on Wednesday, said police were already “procuring metal detection devices”.

“And there is sufficient funding and resources to support the expansion of the trial to all safe night precincts and relevant public transport vehicles and stations,” he said.

While the laws have garnered support from the Opposition, Greens MP Michael Berkman noted his concerns generally about expanding police powers to “derail more people’s lives for nonviolent offences”.

Mr Berkman said the laws would give the police more powers without “actually achieving the very worthy aim of reducing knife crime to prevent further tragedy”.

Mr Ryan paid homage to the Beasley family and said it was “not often that something so overwhelmingly positive for the broader community can follow something so terrible as the loss of someone’s life”.

Debate on the bill will continue on Thursday, with the laws set to pass in the afternoon.

Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan, flanked by the parents of Jack Beasley, Brett and Belinda Beasley. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled