Tas Police
Senior Sergeant Danny Jackson
Tasmania Police Metal Detection Trial Targets Knife Crime in Public Venues In response to a rise in knife-related violence, particularly involving youth, Tasmania Police conducted a four-month trial of electronic metal detection wands between December 2024 and April 2025. The trial focused on high-foot- traffic public areas across Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, and Burnie, including entertainment precincts and licensed venues, aiming to reduce the presence of weapons and enhance officer safety during personal searches. During the trial, officers conducted 213 searches, resulting in 54 seizures—42 of which were knives. Youths were involved in 66 searches, with 13 resulting in seizures. Hobart recorded the highest activity with 93 searches and 23 seizures, followed by Launceston with 89 searches and 27 seizures, and the Western District with 31 searches and four seizures. The wands proved effective in detecting concealed metal objects that would otherwise go unnoticed in visual inspections. Officers reported that some individuals voluntarily surrendered weapons upon seeing the wands, indicating a deterrent effect. Importantly, there were no reported injuries to police officers from weapons during the trial, and no assaults involving edged weapons were recorded statewide. Following the trial, the Tasmanian Government introduced and passed the Police Offences Amendment (Knives and Other Weapons) Bill 2025—known as Reid’s Law. Reid’s Law lowers the threshold for police searches from
‘reasonable belief’ to ‘reasonable suspicion,’ allowing officers to act more proactively in public spaces. It also introduces permanent powers for electronic metal detector searches (wanding) in prescribed locations, including licensed premises, entertainment precincts, shopping centres, and public transport hubs. Under the new provisions, police may conduct wand searches in these areas without needing to form a prior suspicion. If a person refuses to comply with a wand search without reasonable excuse, that refusal may itself be taken as grounds for reasonable suspicion. Officers are also authorised to detain individuals for as long as reasonably necessary to carry out the search. Reid’s Law also increases penalties for possessing dangerous articles in public places, doubling the maximum fine to $20,000 and extending possible imprisonment to three years. The trial demonstrated that metal detection wands are a practical and effective tool for reducing knife-related threats, particularly in venues where people gather for entertainment and hospitality.
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Tasmanian Hospitality Review October/November Edition
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