Reason tough new knife laws in limbo

It’s still unknown when new police powers aimed at tackling knife crime will come into effect in NSW.

Police are yet to procure the necessary equipment despite the laws being passed in June earlier this year.

During budget estimates on Friday, neither Police Minister Yasmin Catley or NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Peter Thurtell were able to give an exact date when the wanding powers, also modelled off Jack’s Law in Queensland, would come into effect, saying only it would be sometime in December.

The sweeping reforms, which were introduced in Queensland after the death of Jack Beasley in December 2019, are designed to allowed police to use handheld electronic metal-detecting wands to scan people without a warrant in areas where knife crime has occurred in the past 12 months.

However, Mr Thurtell confirmed police had yet to determine the amount of wands needed or begun procurement for the overseas-made devices from the US or the UK.

“We’re of the opinion that there are more modern, more sophisticated, less invasive ones available, and we’re yet to speak to the manufacturers about that,” he said.

However, he said police had alternative wands they could use if they were required to implement the laws sooner.

Ms Catley also said funding had been allocated and police were determining the most appropriate model of wands.

“The US and the UK have different styles of wands. We want to make sure that we get the best that are fit for purpose for here in NSW,” he said.

“That is why the procurement has not begun in its totality.”

Asked whether the state had the resources to roll out Jack’s Law in “about 90 days”, Ms Catley said it would be up to police to decide where the wanding powers would be in operation.

“They will make the decision and if they determine that it is warranted to have an operation in that location, then it will be manned, and the wands will be available,” she said.

On Thursday, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton committed to implement Jack’s Law on a national level through Commonwealth intervention and said it would “save young lives”.

“Jack’s Law is something that we want to replicate – and we’ve already announced that we want to roll that policy out across the rest of the country – because we believe that we can save young lives,” he said.

Ms Catley also faced a grilling over police vacancy numbers, with the number of sworn officers decreasing by 741 from 16,836 in September 30, to 16,095 as of August 6 this year.

The NSW Police Force has 2270 police vacancies, with an additional 1362 officers on long-term sick leave.

The minister said she had a “forensic focus” on recruiting new police, and said the state is reporting a 50 per cent uptake in recrutes, with a “good cross section of people applying”.

“(It’s) not just young people who can afford it. At Lake Macquarie last week, I went to meet the new recruits… and they were between the age of 26 and 47,” she said, speaking to the government’s new policy to pay student officers training at Goulburn Police Academy about $30,984 over a 16-week period.

“We need more boots on the ground. I absolutely acknowledge that, and I will continue to work hard to do that,”