Jack's Law Scans Remove 33 Weapons On The Sunshine Coast In First Year

Police have seized 33 weapons on the Sunshine Coast after scanning 7816 people in the first year since Jack's Law was made permanent across Queensland.

Sunshine Coast News reported the local figures on 29 July, alongside statewide data showing more than 173,000 people scanned, more than 1300 weapons seized, more than 2650 people charged and almost 5200 offences recorded. Queensland Government material marking the one-year milestone gives the statewide figure as 1311 weapons removed from the streets after 173,831 scans.

Jack's Law allows police to use handheld metal detectors in public places to detect knives and other weapons before they are used. The law is named after 17-year-old Jack Beasley, who was fatally stabbed at Surfers Paradise in 2019. His parents, Brett and Belinda Beasley, campaigned for changes aimed at reducing knife carrying and preventing other families from experiencing the same loss.

For the Sunshine Coast, the local figure is both a policing statistic and a public-space story. A scan count of 7816 people shows the powers are being used across the region, while 33 weapons seized gives residents a tangible measure of what officers say has been removed from streets, entertainment areas and public settings. It does not by itself prove crime has fallen, but it does show the law is active locally rather than only in Brisbane or the Gold Coast.

The one-year milestone coincided with the seventh annual Ride for Jack, which continues to promote the foundation's anti-knife-violence message. Sunshine Coast News reported that the state government has also invested $1 million to support the Jack Beasley Foundation's One Moment program so students can hear about the consequences of knife crime. That education element matters because enforcement alone is not the whole prevention strategy.

Police Minister Dan Purdie has framed the milestone as evidence that the law is saving lives. Assistant Commissioner Rhys Wildman said police were continuing proactive measures to remove dangerous weapons and improve community safety. The public policy question is how to balance prevention, community confidence and civil liberties while making sure the powers are used transparently and proportionately.

For families, the issue is less abstract. Public places such as shopping centres, transport stops, nightlife precincts and event areas need to feel safe enough for young people to move around. The Sunshine Coast is growing, and with growth comes heavier use of town centres, beaches, public transport links and entertainment strips. Visible enforcement can reassure some residents, while others will want clear data on where scans occur and how decisions are made.

The local numbers give the region a baseline to watch. If scans rise but weapons fall, police may argue deterrence is working. If weapons continue to be found at similar rates, prevention and education may need more attention. Either way, Jack's Law is now part of the Sunshine Coast's community safety landscape, and the first-year figures show it has already had a measurable local footprint.

The next useful step for residents will be continued local reporting, not only statewide totals. A Sunshine Coast breakdown by location type, time of day and outcome would help the public understand where the risk is being found and whether scans are concentrated around nightlife, transport, shopping centres or larger events. That evidence would also help separate genuine prevention work from broad claims about safety.