United in grief, families lobby Tasmanian Government for stronger knife search powers
Laraine Ludwig says she wakes every morning to a nightmare that never ends, after her 41-year-old son Reid was fatally stabbed in a random knife attack at a Blackmans Bay service station in 2019.
Tasmania
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Laraine Ludwig says she wakes up every day to a nightmare that never ends.
Life for the Taroona grandmother changed forever on 24 November 2019, when her 41-year-old son, Reid, was fatally stabbed in a random knife attack outside a Blackmans Bay service station.
Since the shocking incident, Ms Ludwig has channelled her grief by lobbying the Tasmanian government to take tougher action on knife crime, by beefing up police search powers.
And she has drawn inspiration from Queensland couple Brett and Belinda Beasley, who successfully campaigned for the introduction of Jack’s Law, following the tragic loss of their own son on the Gold Coast in 2019.
Jack’s Law gives police powers to stop anyone at random and use a portable scanner or wand to detect knives and other concealed weapons without a warrant. Since the introduction of the laws in Queensland officers have confiscated hundreds of knives and other weapons and charged hundreds of offenders. The Beasley’s believe this is saving lives.
On Tuesday, Ms Ludwig and the Beasleys will meet Police Minister Felix Ellis and Police Commissioner Donna Adams, in a bid to empower Tasmanian officers to perform non-invasive scans to detect knives and other concealed weapons.
“Since my son’s shocking and senseless death, I have made it my mission to try to ensure no other family has to go through what we have been through, losing someone to a knife attack,” Ms Ludwig said on her bid for Reid’s Law in Tasmania.
“It’s devastated our family, and all of Reid’s friends.
“My son was the glue of our family, and a father of two gorgeous children.
“Now my grandchildren have got to live their lives without having a dad who totally doted upon them.”
Mr Beasley said Jack’s Law had already resulted in hundreds of bladed weapons being taken off the streets in Queensland, and called for similar legislation to be enacted in every Australian jurisdiction.
The Queensland legislation allows police to search citizens, without reasonable suspicion, in designated urban precincts.
Under the state’s Police Offences Act, Tasmanian officers have the power to stop and search any person in a public place, but only if they reasonably believe that person is carrying “a dangerous article” without lawful excuse.
The grieving father said the non-invasive searches being conducted by Queensland police were no different to citizens undertaking a random breath test.
“Belinda and have been pretty successful in getting changes in New South Wales, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory, and we’re in talks with Victoria as well,” he said.
“Jack’s Law is about saving lives, and keeping the community safe.
“No-one wants to go through what we’ve both experienced with losing a child to a stabbing attack.
“We’ve got a meeting with the government here tomorrow about Jack’s Law, and we hope the Tasmanian Police say ‘OK, we will implement this’.
“It literally takes 20 seconds for police to run the wand over you, and you’re on your way.
“Every knife we have off the street is a potential life saved.”
Mr Beasley said the meeting, which will also be attended by Queensland’s Police Minister Mark Ryan, would also highlight the importance of public educational in respect to knives, particularly for Tasmania’s youth.
“It’s not about telling kids that they’re doing the wrong thing,” he said.
“It’s about making them realise that they’ve got choice, and about what can happen if you make the wrong choice.”
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