Tomahawks, swords among terrifying weapons seized by police during party precinct wanding trial

A frightening cache of weapons including meat cleavers, tomahawks and swords have been seized by police during a 12-month trial of metal detectors in the Gold Coast party precincts.

A frightening cache of weapons including meat cleavers, tomahawks and swords have been seized by police during a 12-month trial of metal detectors in the Gold Coast party precincts of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

Police are hailing the trial a major success, saying it’s led to an 88 per cent decrease in woundings and a 50 per cent drop in armed robberies in Surfers alone.

The trial was launched last May following a spate of fatal stabbings on the Glitter Strip including the murder of 17-year-old Jack Beasley in December 2019.

Following the tragedy, his parents, Brett and Belinda, launched the Jack Beasley Foundation to lobby for the trial and tougher penalties for knife crimes.

Southeastern region police Acting Assistant Commisoner Rhys Wildman said officers had ‘wanded’ 11,755 people in almost 750 around-the-clock operations during the trial.

Brett Beasley wands Acting Assistant Commissioner Rhys Wildman in Surfers Paradise. Picture: Greg Stolz

Police seized 133 weapons and charged 336 people with 467 charges, some of whom had been carrying multiple weapons.

Mr Wildman said woundings in Surfers Paradise had plummeted from 17 in the same period in 2020-21 to two over the last 12 months, while armed robberies had dropped from 18 to 9.

He said the trial was being analysed by Griffith University but wanding operations would continue for at least the next year under youth justice sunset legislation.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” he said.

Mr Beasley said the results were incredible and the trial had undoubtedly saved lives.

“These little devices (metal detectors) are saving lives – it’s as simple as that,” he said.

“We’re here to make Surfers Paradise the place it was decades ago when you could bring your kids here and have a safe time.”