New police powers are effective in NSW this week, said to be aimed at reducing knife crime and boosting community safety.
Police can now use handheld scanners, or electronic metal-detecting wands, to stop and scan individuals, without a warrant, at designated areas.
An Assistant Commissioner or higher can turn on wanding powers in designated areas including:
- public transport stations and surrounds;
- public transport vehicles within two scheduled stops of a designated public transport station;
- shopping precincts;
- certain sporting venues;
- and other public places, designated by regulation, including special events and places that are part of the night-time economy.
Senior police can declare these zones for up to twelve hours, with an option to extend that timeframe if specific criteria are met.
Wanding powers can also be turned on for areas where there have been issues related to knife crime or knife possession offences where certain knife crimes have happened in the preceding 12 months:
- at least 1 offence committed by person armed with knife or weapon;
- at least 1 serious indictable offence involving violence;
- more than 1 offence of knife possession or prohibited weapon possession.
Premier message to youth: leave the blade at home
Premier Chris Minns says he knows the laws will be ‘inconvenient’ for people but chances can’t be taken when it comes to public safety.
Quoted in a media release about the new laws, the premier said they were about making the public feel safe and ‘perhaps most importantly, to change the culture’.
Mr Minns said he had ‘a strong message to young people in particular, if you’re going to go out at night, don’t take a knife with you because there’s a very good chance, you’ll be wanded or scanned at a New South Wales train station’.
‘I have no doubt that these reforms will save lives,’ Mr Minns said, ‘because people will think twice about carrying a knife with them.’
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