Parents of slain Gold Coast teen Jack Beasley join mission to end knife crime
The father of slain Gold Coast teen Jack Beasley wants all cops to be armed with ‘wanding’ devices to further reduce knife crime - after a trial checked 1500 people and confiscated 50 weapons.
Police & Courts
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THE dad of slain teen Jack Beasley wants all Gold Coast police to `have “wanding” devices to tackle knife crime after a six-month trial checked 1500 people and confiscated 51 weapons.
Children as young as 13 had been found with weapons during the wanding trial, police revealed on Thursday at the launch of the “I live my life … without a knife” campaign on the Glitter Strip.
The campaign – which saw success in Logan before rolling out statewide – has the backing of former NFL player Jesse Williams plus Brett and Belinda Beasley whose son died from knife violence on December 13, 2019.
Speaking at the launch, Mr Beasley said he was shocked by some of the 51 weapons that had been seized during the wanding trial in Gold Coast party precincts.
“Some of these knives I don’t even know how they manage to carry them,” Mr Beasley said.
He said he wanted the initiative to be expanded statewide.
“It’s so important that this wanding trial keeps going forward. It’s clearly saving lives. I do believe that every police officer statewide should have the wand on them,” he said.
Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman said during the trial there had been a reduction in knife offences in the Gold Coast party precincts.
Almost 1500 people had been wanded six months into the trial, including 600 juveniles, he said.
Some of the weapons found included knives, scissors, screw drivers, axes, swords, and even a replica firearm, he said.
He revealed the wanding trial would be operating around the clock during Schoolies week.
The wanding trial comes after the deaths of Jack, a father Raymond Harris, 27, and Nicholas Braid, in his 30s, after knife incidents in Surfers Paradise in the past two years. The trial will be independently reviewed by Griffith University.
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