Sunshine Coast police use wanding in Maroochydore safe night precinct

Sunshine Coast police are scanning people for knives in a safe night precinct and the parents of slain teen Balin Stewart react to the operation rollout.

Police searched Maroochydore partygoers with metal detectors for the first time as a rollout of a new law continues throughout Queensland.

Jack’s Law, passed in March by the state Parliament, allows police to search people in safe night precincts and on public transport with metal detectors.

They are looking for bladed weapons in an effort to reduce knife crime.

More than 450 people were scanned in safe night precincts across the state this weekend.

Of those, 22 people were scanned in the Maroochydore safe night precinct on April 14 and 15.

No weapons were found or charges laid in Maroochydore but in other locations, seven weapons were found and seven people were charged with 11 offences.

A total of 399 adults and 42 juveniles were scanned.

Sunshine Coast police search people for knives in the Ocean St party precinct in Maroochydore on April 14. Picture: Letea Cavander

The law is named after Jack Beasley, a 17-year-old who died in a stabbing on the Gold Coast in 2019.

Following his death, his family advocated for action to reduce knife crimes.

Kerri-Lyn and Michael Stewart were also present to watch the Maroochydore police in action as they ran metal detectors over people on Ocean St on April 14.

In January 2022, their 16-year-old son Balin Stewart was stabbed outside their Buddina home.

Kerri-Lyn and Michael Stewart’s son Balin died from a stab wound on their front lawn. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Since his tragic death, the couple has become passionate about raising awareness of knife crime.

Among many other initiatives through the Balin Stewart Foundation and the Bin the Blade for Balin campaign, Mr Stewart also gives regular talks in schools about their experience.

The rollout of the “wanding” operations began in April in other safe night precincts including those in Fortitude Valley and Townsville.

Mr Stewart said it was “fantastic” to see the rollout on the Sunshine Coast.

Balin Stewart, in trademark white T-shirt, died on his front lawn in 2022.

“We know the work that Belinda and Brett (Beasley) have done on the Gold Coast and across Queensland, but you know this is our backyard so we couldn’t be happier,” he said.

Mr Stewart said he had been without Balin for more than a year and he was missing his son more as time went on.

Brett and Belinda Beasley outside the Brisbane Supreme Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Mrs Stewart said, to date, she had marked a first Christmas without Balin along with all their birthdays.

“I feel we’re still in the same place,” she said.

“Like Michael was saying, it gets harder, it doesn’t get easier.”

She said other milestones Balin would never reach included his formal and graduating high school later this year.

“We’re going to see his friends do it, which is absolutely beautiful, they’re pretty much our kids now,” Mrs Stewart said.

Balin Stewart with lifelong friend Phoebe Peaker.

Mr Stewart pleaded with children to think about the damage they could do and the multiple people they could hurt “for their eternity” if they carried a knife and used it.

“I can’t see a day that I won’t be thinking about Balin,” he said.

Sunshine Coast district central patrol group inspector Jason Overland said penalties for possessing a knife in a public place was an offence punishable by a fine of more than $5000 or imprisonment.

“It’s really a matter of keeping these knives out of our public places, in particular the safe night out precinct,” he said.

Sunshine Coast district central patrol group inspector Jason Overland on Ocean St on April 14. Picture: Letea Cavander

To a question of whether more officers would be dedicated to the precinct to carry out the random wanding, Chief Inspector Overland said police had put “a lot” of resources into the precinct over the years.

“We always have a core group of police in the safe night out precinct as part of our responsibility to police this area and those police have been specifically trained to be able to use the wanding devices,” the police officer said.

One partygoer who was searched said it was really unnecessary.

“They shouldn’t be going around asking people like that,” he said.

But his friend Sarah said she agreed with the initiative.

“I think knives are very dangerous, especially if they’re in the hands of people that are drunk or have drugs on them,” she said.

Mr Stewart implored Sunshine Coast youth to do one thing.

“Live your life without a knife, please,” he said.