Key facts
- Victorian police and PSOs will gain powers to stop and search individuals for knives using handheld metal detectors.
- The new powers are modeled after Queensland's 'Jack's Law'.
- Police and PSOs will be equipped with 1,200 additional metal-detecting wands.
- The powers will allow searches of any person in a public place.
- Criminologists and human rights advocates warn the measure is ineffective and may target marginalized groups.
- A Griffith University study found no reduction in violence from similar searches in Queensland.
The Victorian government has announced that police and protective services officers (PSOs) will be granted new powers to conduct random stop and search operations for knives using handheld metal detectors. Premier Ben Carroll stated that a re-elected Labor government would implement these measures, mirroring Queensland's 'Jack's Law,' which was named after a teenager fatally stabbed in 2019.
Under the proposed commitment, 1,200 additional metal-detecting wands will be provided to officers, enabling them to search any person in a public place. Police Minister Paul Edbrooke described the scope of these powers as 'Anywhere, anytime.' This bipartisan approach to expanding search powers comes despite significant opposition from criminologists and human rights advocates.
Critics, including Sarah Schwartz, legal director of the Human Rights Law Centre, argue that such laws are ineffective at reducing violent crime and primarily serve to harass marginalized communities. A Griffith University study on a trial of 'Jack's Law' in Queensland found no evidence of reduced violence and raised human rights concerns. Criminologist Joel McGregor suggested that 'tough-on-crime policies' do not address the root causes of carrying weapons.
Currently, Victorian police require warrants for pat-down searches, with a recent six-month designation of the CBD for such searches being invalidated by the federal court. Premier Carroll indicated that the government would consult legal experts to ensure the new law is 'watertight.' The move represents a notable policy reversal for the state government, which had previously maintained that its existing search powers were adequate.