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October 20, 2026

Police knife-scanning blitz in Coffs

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Police in Coffs Harbour say they seized several knives during a high-visibility operation last Thursday.

Officers used handheld scanners, or electronic metal-detecting ‘wands’, to check for knife possession, in a blitz

between 10am and 10pm last Thursday 13 February.

Operation Ares was carried out at three areas in Coffs Harbour.

Police targeted the local railway station and two shopping precincts, scanning 249 people and searching four.

They say they seized four knives and issued court attendance notices to two men aged 18 and 41, and two women aged 37 and 45, for custody of a knife in public place.

Police also arrested a 44-year-old man for allegedly breaching bail.

They say they will run similar knife scanning blitzes across various parts of the state.



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Interview with Genevieve Clay-Smith, director of Boss Cat showing at the Byron Bay Film Festival

When Sonja (Olivia Hargroder) loses her mother without warning, the only steady presence left in her life is her grandmother, Doris. But Doris’s idea of stability means dismantling everything Sonja has built. For Sonja, who lives with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) and has spent her life fighting to be underestimated by no one, Doris’ plan feels less like protection and more like erasure. Directed by Genevieve Clay-Smith, Boss Cat is a vibrant, big-hearted Australian dramedy about independence, family and self-determination, anchored by a fearless lead performance.

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