Jack’s Law milestone as weapons seized on Coast

Nambour Police Beat Senior Constable Aaron Caldwell and Marty Hunt.

Police have seized 22 weapons on the Sunshine Coast since Jack’s Law was made permanent and expanded statewide in July last year. The milestone comes as Queensland Police confirmed more than 1,000 weapons had been taken off streets across the state under the laws. Since July, police have carried out 127,595 scans across Queensland, leading to 1,947 arrests and 3,773 charges. On the Sunshine Coast, 4,558 people have been scanned, with 22 weapons seized.

Jack’s Law allows police to use handheld metal-detecting wands to scan people for knives and other weapons in designated areas. The law is named in honour of 17-year-old Jack Beasley, who was fatally stabbed during a night out with friends at Surfers Paradise in 2019. His parents, Brett and Belinda Beasley, have since campaigned to prevent other families experiencing the same loss.

Minister for Police and Emergency Services Dan Purdie said the milestone showed the laws were working.

“1,032 weapons off our streets means 1,032 chances to prevent a tragedy,” Mr Purdie said. “This is what happens when you back your frontline with the laws and resources they need to do their jobs.

“Labor would have let Jack’s Law lapse but we made it permanent, expanded it, and now the results speak for themselves.”

Member for Nicklin Marty Hunt said the laws were helping make the Sunshine Coast safer.

“We made a promise to Queenslanders that we’d do everything possible to restore safety where you live, and that’s what we’re delivering since making Jack’s Law permanent,” Mr Hunt said.

“The Crisafulli Government is giving police the tools and resources they need and ensuring we can get dangerous weapons off the streets of the Sunshine Coast.”

Mr Beasley said every weapon removed mattered. “Every knife taken off the street is a potential life saved,” he said.

“We’ll never know who these laws have protected, but we know they are making a real difference.”

Mrs Beasley said Jack’s legacy was about protecting all Queenslanders. “Jack’s Law isn’t just about Jack – it’s about every life that can be saved, and every family that can be spared this kind of loss,” she said.

“To see 1,000 weapons removed shows these laws are working, the Government is listening, and police are delivering.”

The State Government has also committed $1 million to the Jack Beasley Foundation’s One Moment program, which educates young Queenslanders about the consequences of knife crime.