Sharper knife laws allow anywhere, anytime searches

Western Australians face being randomly searched anywhere in public under the nation’s “strictest” knife crime laws.

Dedicated search areas featuring wanding and new walk-through metal detectors will be set up at entertainment precincts including in Northbridge-Perth, Mandurah, Scarborough, Hillarys and Joondalup under the government’s “anytime, anywhere” knife laws introduced to state parliament.

Senior police will be given powers to declare temporary knife scanning areas in public places for up to 12 hours including shopping centres, public transport precincts and sporting and community events.

Those who fail to comply with a wanding or walk-through direction could face up to 12 months in jail or a $12,000 fine.

“Western Australians have a right to feel safe in public, whether they’re visiting an entertainment area, shopping centre, train station or community event,” Premier Roger Cook said.

“These proactive laws will give WA police greater powers to find and seize dangerous weapons hidden on a person or in their belongings.

“My government’s knife crackdown includes significant jail time for the illegal possession of an edged weapon and I make no apology for targeting thugs who think it’s ok to be armed in public.”

Police Minister Paul Paplia said the new laws would help police better detect knives or other easy-to-conceal weapons with a quick, non-invasive check.

“There’s a lot of support of greater powers and anxiety around the threat of knife violence,” he said.

“The strictest knife laws in Australia means a safer Western Australia.”

The new laws were inspired by Queensland’s Jack’s Law, named in memory of 17-year-old Jack Beasley, who was fatally stabbed on the Gold Coast in 2019.

Other horrific knife crimes including the Bondi stabbings, the knife attack on children at a Taylor Swift-themed event in the UK and the recent stabbing of a Perth man had steeled the WA government’s resolve to reinforce the laws.

As well as Queensland’s provisions, NSW police were given beefed-up powers to wand people in the wake of the Bondi attack, where six people were killed.

Officers are able to use a hand-held metal detectors without warrants in certain locations including shopping precincts, sporting venues and public transportation stations.

Senior police can make a declaration allowing officers to scan people for 12 hours in an area where knife or weapons-related violence has taken place in the past 12 months.

In WA, along with the new search laws, anyone found illegally carrying an edged weapon or illegally supplying one to a person under 18 will face up to three years behind bars and a fine of $36,000.

Penalties for those caught with a prohibited weapon will also be increased from three years to a maximum of five years and a larger fine of $60,000.

The new laws include safeguards to protect those with a legitimate reason for carrying a knife but possession for self-defense will not be allowed.