Government releases new crime strategy, expanding Jack's Law

Police will be able to use their discretion when utilising new wanding powers under Queensland’s latest strategy to tackle youth crime, meaning people walking into McDonald’s and service stations may be searched.

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Police Minister Mark Ryan has confirmed police will be able to use their discretion when utilising new search powers under the extended Jack’s Law, with locations including licensed premises, McDonald’s and service stations also falling under additional wanding locations.

It comes after the announcement police will soon be authorised to search patrons attending stadiums and entertainment venues for knives under the state government’s latest crime strategy.

“The full definition will be in the legislation that’ll be introduced tomorrow, but it’s essentially the late night retail and hospitality facilities,” Mr Ryan said.

“So it might be a late night McDonald’s or it might be a late night service station or 7-Eleven.

“Those places which are obviously identified (by) police, using intelligence, as fitting the criteria for needing Jack’s Law, and obviously have had some instances of crime in the past.”

The new wanding locations will be in addition to shopping centres, effectively allowing police officers to conduct metal detection searches at all major public gathering venues. The wanding is an extension of Jack’s Law, which was introduced in 2023 to allow police officers to use metal detection wands to search for weapons in safe night precincts across the state as well as public transport centres.

Queensland Police conduct a wanding operation. Picture: Andrew McKenna

Under the government’s new community safety plan released on Tuesday, police will be equipped with 5400 new Tasers, 3000 metal detecting wands and 4500 body worn cameras in a bid to curb the state’s youth crime wave.

The new gadgets come with a $19.8m price tag, with an additional $8.5m to be spent on “assisting police in detecting and responding to dangerous and criminal activity”, and new Polair helicopters promised to Sunshine Coast, Wide Bay and Far Cairns police services.

An extra 900 police personnel including 500 sworn officers will be recruited by mid-2027 on top of the government’s existing election promise to hire 2025 staff by 2025.

More Polair services are planned for Queensland. Picture: David Clark

Premier Steven Miles said “more needs to be done” to tackle crime, stating the plan was focused on early intervention, helping frontline defenders, and providing more support to victims.

“It’s informed by genuine consultation with experts, frontline workers and communities that puts victims and their experiences at the centre,” he said.

Legislative changes expected to be introduced to parliament this week will see juvenile offenders “streamlined” into adult custody once they reach 18 years of age, the media provided better access to Children’s Court and increased penalties for dangerous operation of a vehicle and public knife possession.

Under Jack’s Law police already use metal detection wands to search for weapons in safe night precincts across the state as well as public transport centres. Picture: Richard Gosling

Ramming emergency service vehicles, including police cars and ambulances, will become a new offence.

The safety plan will see $1.28 billion in additional government funding including $261.4m towards a new “therapeutic operating” model at southeast Queensland’s latest youth detention centre.

The model will be established at the soon to be built Woodford Youth Detention Centre and would “provide essential rehabilitation services aimed at reducing reoffending for youth offenders”.

It was recently revealed the major new youth detention centre would be ready by the end of 2026, and cost a whopping $627.6m to build — the equivalent of each of the 80 cells costing $7.8m each.

The 80-bed facility made up of smaller “more homelike accommodation units” is set to be built next to the adult correctional facility at Woodford with early works beginning in late February.

Another proposed youth detention facility in Cairns — set to have 40-beds — won’t be ready until some stage in 2027.

Originally published as Government releases new crime strategy, expanding Jack's Law