NSW police to get 'wanding' powers to search for knives with no warrant or suspicion under proposed changes

The NSW laws will be modelled on Jack’s Law in Queensland, which was introduced after the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Jack Beasley. (Supplied: Queensland Police)

Police in New South Wales will be able to “wand” anyone in designated areas for a weapon, under a state government proposal to combat knife crime.

Officers will not need a warrant, nor will they need to have a reasonable suspicion someone is carrying a knife before they use the metal-detecting wands on members of the public.

The police powers will be available in areas where a knife crime has occurred within the past six months, including transport hubs, shopping centres, pubs and clubs.

The authority will last for 12 hours but can be extended.

Under the proposed laws, it will also be illegal to sell a knife to anyone under the age of 18, although exceptions will be made for people who need a knife for work or study.

The current age limit is 16.

Premier Chris Minns said the changes were “commonsense,” following a series of violent incidents involving knives, including the Bondi Westfield attack, the church stabbing at Wakeley and the fatal stabbing of a teenager at Blacktown.

“In recent weeks and months, we have all borne witness to the devastating outcomes of knife related violence,” the premier said in a statement.

“Our communities are still in mourning, but it’s essential that we step up to take immediate action to send a clear message that New South Wales will simply not accept these kinds of crimes.”

The legislation, which is still being finalised, will be based on Jack’s Law, introduced by the Queensland government following the stabbing murder of 17-year-old Jack Beasley.

His parents, Brett and Belinda, met with senior members of the NSW government last week and urged them to follow Queensland’s lead.

Knife crime declining in NSW

While community concern over knife crime may be growing, statistics show it has been trending down for years.

In 2004, there were 4,258 violent knife incidents, whereas in 2023 that figure was 1,518, according to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR).

The NSW Police Union has been advocating for expanded wanding powers, pointing to statistics from Queensland which showed more than 500 weapons were seized during the first year of Jack’s Law being in operation.

The government’s announcement on Tuesday is likely to anger civil liberties groups, which have previously argued that expanded search powers would not have prevented the Bondi or Wakeley attacks.

However, Attorney-General Michael Daley said the proposed changes would send a signal that it was “not OK to carry a knife”.

“There are too many young people who think it is OK to put a knife into their pocket to carry out their daily business,” he said.

“The worrying thing is that, if they are open to carrying it, then they are probably open to using it.”