Surfers Paradise stabbing: Detective Brendan Smith appeals for end to ‘gangster attitude’
A senior Gold Coast cop has blasted ‘complete idiots’ carrying ‘Rambo’ knives after a young dad was fatally stabbed in Surfers Paradise overnight.
Police & Courts
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A senior Gold Coast cop has blasted ‘complete idiots’ carrying ‘Rambo’ knives after a series of stabbings in Surfers Paradise.
In the latest incident, Raymond Harrison, 27, was stabbed to death after a fight between two groups in Cavill Mall about 8.50pm on Wednesday.
“I don’t know about you but I’ve had enough of knife crime ,” Detective Superintendent Brendan Smith said.
“Knife crime is becoming increasingly common and the actions of what happened last night is a clear consequence of people being idiots.”
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“I don’t know about but I’ve had enough,” Supt Smith said.
“We’ve got a number of knife crimes happening over the last week or so. It’s only 12 months ago today we had a young man killed in the southern part of the Gold Coast and it doesn’t seem to be sinking in.
“What do we have to say to our young people that this enough and they’ve got to stop carrying knives? There is no excuse for it and we will come down hard on anyone that is carrying a knife in public in Queensland.
“It’s not a Gold Coast issue, it’s a community issue it’s an Australia-wide issue it’s a worldwide issue.
“Knife crime is becoming increasingly common and the actions of what happened last night is a clear consequence of people being complete idiots.”
Supt Smith said the two groups were known to each other as well as to police.
“You’ll see in some of the footage that’s released later that these aren’t you’re run-of-the-mill kitchen knives, these are hunting knives .... a colloquial term you’d call it a Rambo knife.
“There’s no excuse for having these knives. We’ve got families now who are grieving because of the actions of a few.”
Supt Smith said knife crime tragedy was not a gang issue but a ‘generational issue’.
“The youth today, for some reason, they think it’s cool to have that gangster attitude and they carry knives,” he said.
“There is no excuse. A generation ago, a fight was between a group of people that was fisticuffs and the consequences were far less.
“Now, you bring a knife, and it’s a millimetre whether you survive or you don’t.
“We had a stabbing to nights ago where, only by the grace of God, this person’s still alive. When will they learn?
“They’re not listening to us. Some of our social influencers need to actually use their power for good instead of for their own gain.
“They could really influence the attitudes of some of our young people.”
Originally published as Surfers Paradise stabbing: Detective Brendan Smith appeals for end to ‘gangster attitude’