Chilling items children caught carrying
The first weekend of tough new knife laws in Western Australia has resulted in children having knives and weapons seized.
Sweeping new knife laws have come into affect in WA over the weakened, with police cracking down on hidden weapons, with the ability to stop and search anyone for concealed weapons without a warrant.
Among those charged were four children, one was just 14 years old.
Using a non-invasive scanner, police officers will be patrolling the streets of WA over the Christmas and New Year period as part of the crackdown.
In the first weekend of the weapon blitz, police scanned more than 4,000 people for concealed weapons and seized tomahawks, machetes, pepper spray, hammers and knives, some of which were in the possession of children.
Police seized 21 weapons inside party precincts and shopping centres, including a blade reaching 20cm in length.
It’s a sight that was both “disturbing” and “reassuring”, WA Police minister Paul Papalia said.
“I can’t believe that someone is carrying around a tomahawk,” he said.
In the first weekend of the weapons blitz, police seized 11 weapons from Northbridge, two in Fremantle and remaining eight weapons in regional areas across the state.
Inspired by Jack’s Law in Queensland, which allows officers to detect whether people are carrying weapons, the tough new knife laws are designed to reduce knife crime in the state, following the fatal stabbing of Jack Beasley on the Gold Coast in 2019.
“Knife crime devastates families,” said Mr Papalia in a statement.
“No parent should have to endure the pain of losing a child and this is just another tool to allow frontline officers to quickly identify offenders before they have a chance to cause harm.”
Those caught with an edged weapon could face up to three years in jail and a $36,000 fine.
