Almost 200,000 people searched for weapons in Qld in the last year

More than 1,400 weapons seized by police after one year of Jack's Law in QueenslandPosted Fri 4 Sep 2026 at 11:11amFri 4 Sep 2026 at 11:11amPolice have seized more than 1,400 weapons through random searches across Queensland since July last year. (Supplied: Queensland Police)In short:Queensland police have wanded almost 200,000 people and seized more than 1,400 weapons across the state since Jack's Law was made permanent.Police conducted 54,000 scans in the Brisbane region and seized 300 weapons, resulting in 1,400 charges.Police Minister Dan Purdie said the confiscated weapons have been destroyed at an e-recycling facility.A hunting knife and a large machete confiscated from teenagers in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley on the same night are some of the 300 weapons seized by police since Jack's Law was made permanent.Police have wanded almost 200,000 people and seized more than 1,400 weapons across Queensland since July last year.Under the legislation police can randomly search people for a weapon without a warrant in a public place.The law was named in honour of teenager Jack Beasley, who was stabbed and killed on the Gold Coast in 2019 while on a night out with friends.A samurai sword was among the weapons seized by police. (Supplied: Queensland Police)Police Minister Dan Purdie said police conducted 54,000 wandings in the Brisbane region and seized 300 weapons, resulting in 700 arrests and 1,400 charges."We'll never know what those weapons were going to be used for, but every knife, every weapon, every samurai sword is potentially a life saved," Mr Purdie said.Police said that recent incidents include a large machete taken from a 17-year-old boy in Fortitude Valley and a hunting knife was confiscated off an 18-year-old in the same area on the same night.Last weekend, a large machete was taken from a 15-year-old boy at a shopping complex in South Brisbane."Jack's Law is making Queenslanders more safe than before," Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said."When you walk amongst our community you just don't think people are carrying knives, but they are," Mr Bleijie said.The seized weapons, which include machetes and a samurai sword, have been crushed at an e-recycling plant.Laws target 'everybody'Recent data has shown that more than one in 10 people searched for weapons in Queensland under the expanded powers identified as First Nations.That's despite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people making up 4.6 per cent of the Queensland population.Mr Bleijie said the laws are non-discriminatory.Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the laws are making Queenslanders safer. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)"Everybody across Queensland in public spaces can be wanded, and we're trying to take knives off everybody," he said."We want knives off everybody in every community."The increased police powers form part of the LNP's tough on crime agenda, which includes the introduction of new legislation tightening bail laws.The breach bail, go to jail legislation includes a minimum mandatory one year jail sentence for offenders who breach bail.