Media release – Laraine Ludwig, 5 November 2024
TIME FOR GOVERNMENT TO ACT ON KNIFE CRIME AFTER LAUNCESTON INCIDENT
Following news that a man has been wounded with a knife in the Brisbane Street Mall, law reform advocate, Laraine Ludwig is calling on the Government to act.
“How many more people need to get hurt before the Government acts and follows other states in introducing tougher knife laws including giving police the power to conduct non-invasive searches with metal-detecting wands?” Ms Ludwig said.
Ms Ludwig knows only too well the toll that knife crime is having on our community. In 2019, her son was brutally murdered in a random knife attack in Blackmans Bay.
Ms Ludwig says that while the Government has released a draft bill related to knife crime and hooning, it doesn’t go far enough.
“Other states either have acted or are acting. This includes giving police the power to conduct non-invasive scans to detect knives and other weapons, yet for some reason the Tasmanian Government is reluctant to take this vital step towards community safety.
“In Queensland, police seized over 500 knives in one year when they were given the right powers and the right tools, like non-invasive hand-held scanners. Western Australia and New South Wales are also in the process of introducing similar laws to Queensland’s. We need to do the same here in Tasmania where knife crime is a significant issue.
“If police had the right powers and the right tools, attacks like the one in Launceston today, could hopefully be prevented.
“It’s time the Government gets tough on knife crime and implements laws similar to Queensland’s.”
