Father of late teen Jack Beasley said the wanding trial is the wakeup call that was needed
The Surfers Paradise wanding trial has potentially saved lives, with knives, shivs and axes found by police.
Gold Coast
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A SMALL black device about 20cm long and used to detect knives has been saving lives on the Gold Coast according to the father of a teen stabbed to death in Surfers Paradise.
Brett Beasley, the father of Jack Beasley, said he had no doubt the wands were saving lives as a part of a trial to reduce the number of people carrying knives.
Police were granted powers to “wand” people with a metal detector in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach as part of a year long trial.
Eight knives, two shivs and an axe has been found since the trial began four weeks ago.
A meat clever and a homemade shiv were found on a 16-year-old boy on Thursday in Surfers Paradise.
On Friday night another 16-year-old boy was found with a flick knife in his bag in Kurrawa Park, Broadbeach.
The park is not far away from this weekend’s Blues On Broadbeach Music Festival is taking place.
“This little device is saving lives,” Mr Beasley said.
Jack died after being stabbed while walking through Surfers Paradise in December 2019.
Mr Beasley said he was “confident” and had “no doubt” Jack’s life would have been saved if the wanding powers were in place prior to his death.
“These kids need to know this is real life, this is no a video game,” he said, holding up the metal detecting wand.
Gold Coast police Acting Superintendent Rhys Wildman said the use of wands meant they were able to take weapons off people before they were used.
He had one message for those who were carrying knives in public.
“Don’t touch knives,” he said.
“There is no legitimate reasons to bring a knife in public let alone the safe knife precinct.”
Acting Supt Wildman said more than 300 people had been stopped and searched with a metal detector during the trial.
He said none of those stopped had any push back against being “wanted”.
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