NSW Police now have permanent powers to stop and scan people for knives in public places, after new laws passed State Parliament last week.
The laws make permanent a knife scanning trial introduced in 2024, which was modelled on Jack’s Law in Queensland. They also strengthen the scheme and give police greater powers to run scanning operations where and when they need to.
The reforms follow the trial, a statutory review, and a recommendation from the Bondi Junction Coronial Inquest to consider making the laws permanent.
Under the changes, police can declare certain public areas as designated areas, where they can stop and scan people using handheld metal detectors. These powers sit alongside existing police search powers, which officers can use anywhere, anytime, when they have reasonable grounds to do so.
The areas where scanning can happen are being expanded to include major entertainment venues and associated areas. These are in addition to shopping centres, public transport stations and sporting venues. Further areas can also be declared by regulation, on the advice of NSW Police.
Other changes make the powers easier for police to use. The threshold for who can approve operations has been lowered, and police can now declare an area for up to 24 hours instead of 12.
The government says the changes ensure knife scanning can occur where there are real risks to public safety, without an unwarranted intrusion on law-abiding people going about their day.
Since April 2023, the NSW Police Force has seized more than 15,000 knives from public places.
The new laws build on earlier reforms to curb violence and remove dangerous weapons from the streets. These include doubling maximum penalties for knife crime and increasing penalties for the sale of knives to children.
“We introduced knife wanding powers two years ago to give police another tool to tackle knife crime,” said Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley.
“We have now made those powers permanent and stronger.”
Attorney General Michael Daley said the move was common sense and brought NSW into line with other Australian jurisdictions. He said the government had taken knife crime seriously, doubling maximum penalties for knife possession, prohibiting the sale of knives to 16- and 17-year-olds, and now making knife scanning powers permanent.
“The message is clear: if you are illegally carrying a knife or other weapon in NSW, you can expect to be caught, arrested and charged,” Mr Daley said.
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