Premier open to introducing ‘Jack’s Law’ knife search wands, rules out pepper spray

The Premier has left the door open to adopting “Jack’s Law”, which allows police to randomly search for knives using metal-detecting wands — but dismissed the idea of letting Victorians carry pepper spray.

Premier Jacinta Allan has left the door open to handing police powers to use metal detectors to hunt down knives on Victorian streets but has rejected calls to consider allowing people to carry pepper spray for self defence.

Ms Allan flagged her government was looking at further police powers amid calls for Victoria to introduce “Jack’s Law” and allow cops to randomly search people for weapons at any location and at anytime.

It comes after the father of Jack Beasley, a teenager who was fatally stabbed in Queensland in 2019, labelled what is happening in Victoria as “devastating” and urged Jacinta Allan to take action like the majority of other states.

Brett and Belinda Beasley have been advocating for ‘Jack’s Law’ following the stabbing death of their son, Jack. Picture: Jerad Williams

Brett Beasley and his wife, Belinda, whose son died after being stabbed outside a Gold Coast supermarket when a group of teens attacked him and his friends, pushed to get ‘Jack’s Law’ introduced in Victoria.

Mr Beasley described it as similar to random breath testing, but for teens carrying knives and machetes.

“It’s random searches,” he said.

“It’s a non-invasive search. It literally takes 60 seconds. The police just run the wand over you like you are going through airport security.

“So if you’re not carrying a weapon, you’ve absolutely got nothing at all to worry about.

“It’s the same as drink-driving. If you haven’t been drinking, you blow on a bag and you are on your way, literally within 30 seconds.

“It’s all about community safety, it’s about keeping our community safe and it is all about keeping your children safe to come home at the end of the day.”

Mr Beasley said the law had been extremely effective in Queensland and in the other states that have now introduced it.

NSW police demonstrate the non-invasive weapons scanner technology. Picture: Gaye Gerard

“The police have searched upwards of 150,000 people here in Queensland, and they’ve taken some 1700 weapons off the streets of Queensland,” he said.

“Same as New South Wales. I’ve just spent a week down there with the Premier and doing our school presentations.

“In the short nine months they’ve done something like 25,000 checks and they’ve taken some 250 weapons off the streets in just nine months. It’s working.

“It saves lives. It is the same as in WA, it is down in Tasmania now and up in the Northern Territory. But Victoria, I know they have some wand use down there, but they don’t have anything like Jack’s Law.”

Mr Beasley said Victoria Police had met with him but Jacinta Allan won’t take his call.

“Jacinta is obviously a lovely lady, but I haven’t met with her yet,” he said.

“She won’t meet with me. But, you know, she’s got children of her own.

“Victoria Police love it. I came down there and met with them. I brought our deputy commissioner down with me and Victoria Police absolutely love the idea.

“Well, it’s nearly been a year now since I’ve been down there and nothing has happened so far, so I think it should happen sooner rather than later.”

The new scanners have been introduced in other states. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Questioned over whether she was considering adopting ‘Jack’s Law’, the Premier said there was “some work” going on behind the scenes but that she wasn’t aware that Mr Beasley had requested a meeting.

“There has been some work going on across government,” she said.

“I will come back, out of respect, with a more fulsome response.”

She noted that tougher knife laws, including a ban on machetes, had just been introduced. Currently Victoria Police can search for weapons but only in designated zones.

More than 10,000 dangerous knives have been seized in Victoria as part of the expanded stop and search powers.

Ms Allan, however, all but ruled out following the Northern Territory government in launching a trial allowing eligible individuals to purchase, possess, carry, and use pepper spray for self defence.

To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old, present a valid photo ID, and complete a Buyer Declaration confirming no relevant criminal history or court orders.

Despite an escalation in violent crime in Victoria, including the murder of two children in Cobblebank, Ms Allan said she was not looking to follow the NT.

“They’re not something that is on our current, current consideration,” she said.

“There are some significant concerns that have been raised with that Northern Territory trial.”

One week into the trial, which began on September 1, the NT police union warned that the OC spray rollout could endanger both the public and frontline officers.

The alarm was raised after 11 prohibited people were among 550 who bought pepper spray once it was legalised.

The Premier says her government is looking at adopting ‘Jack’s Law’ and that she was seeking further advice. Picture: David Crosling

Ms Allan said she was more focused on getting to the root cause of the “shocking” attacks being carried out on Victorian streets and was confident her new bail and knife laws would deter criminals.

Her government and progressive members of the crossbench also recently voted down a push for a review of the state’s self-defence laws, despite Victorians facing a record surge in violent home invasions.

Opposition Leader Brad Battin has also raised concerns about the pepper spray plan, saying we should exercise caution about going down the same path.

“Let’s be honest, once they’re in the market, they end up in the hands of the wrong people,” he said.