Safety shock: Coast residents will not board trams and train at night following knife deaths

Almost half the people travelling on public transport do not feel safe at night, sparking a call by the City to widen police powers on checking for weapons like knives.

Almost half the people travelling on public transport do not feel safe at night, sparking a call by the City to widen police powers on checking for weapons like knives.

The council in a submission to a parliamentary committee examining “Jack’s Law” backed the Jack Beasley Foundation on introducing legislation so police can use metal detectors.

A wanding trial in Safe Night Precincts (SNPs) will end in April.

Acting Mayor Donna Gates in the council submission called for the measures to be extended beyond the SNPs of Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

“To support safety more broadly, the City is supportive of the Bill to extend the trial to all SNPs in addition to public transport stations and on public transport vehicles,” she said.

Jack Beasley Foundation volunteers with police watching a wanding trial in Surfers Paradise.

Police data released on Monday shows the trial, since May 2021, had been a huge success in combating knife-crime with 21,362 people wanded in SNPs.

Police took 242 weapons off the streets and 656 people were charged on 988 offences.

Weapons found included knives, knuckle dusters, a gel blaster, a screw driver, a machete and an axe.

Jack’s Law was inspired by the horrific stabbing death of 17-year-old Jack Beasley outside a Surfers Paradise IGA in December 2019. Two teens are serving prison time over his death.

The City in its submission refers to the QPS Online Crime Map which in the past 12 months shows there were 1679 “offences against the person” including assaults.

A city wide survey found:

• 83.6 per cent feel safe on the Coast during the day;

• 39.2 per cent felt safe at night on the Coast.

• 48.94 per cent did not feel safe travelling on public transport at night versus 64.38 per cent of persons feeling safe on public transport during the day;

• 70 per cent of respondents believe CCTV increased their safety;

• drug and alcohol use is a top safety concern for respondents

• 750 respondents felt a visible police presence increased their feelings of safety.

Police and Jack Beasley Foundation volunteers at a wanding trial in Surfers Paradise.

Cr Gates said it was feared that if the QPS was not given the extended powers there would be no deterrent to criminals carrying weapons.

“The City considers it likely that perceptions of safety may also be negatively impacted, particularly for users of public transport,” she said.

Bonney MP Sam O’Connor who spoke at Monday’s parliamentary hearing on behalf of the Jack Beasley Foundation said he hoped the new law would be introduced in the first sittings of Parliament.

“We need it to be passed by April when the trial finishes,” he said.

Mr O’Connor presented the Foundation’s submission which argued the new laws would enable police to target hot spots where knife violence occurred.

Bonney MP Sam O'Connor with Belinda Beasley, mother of Jack, who was killed after a stabbing in Surfers Paradise. They meet with police as part of a wanding trial supported by the Jack Beasley Foundation.

“This was certainly the situation on the Gold Coast where Jack was not the only tragic death from a stabbing incident,” the submission said.

“Within a year of Jack’s murder, 27-year-old Raymond Harris was fatally stabbed within Surfers Paradise as well. Several other near-fatal knife incidents have occurred across the Gold Coast both in Safe Night Precincts and on public transport infrastructure.

“This is a clear problem for our city. These laws are an important part of the solution

and are already helping Gold Coasters and visitors feel safer and be safer.”

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