The shopping centre industry has welcomed the proposal by the Western Australian Government to introduce tough new knife crime laws including permanent ‘Knife Wanding Areas’ enabling WA Police the ability to wand people in public places for weapons, including knives.
The Shopping Centre Council of Australia (SCCA) has engaged with the WA Government and WA Police on this matter and other community safety and policing issues.
“We welcome the proposal by the WA Government to introduce tougher knife crime laws and have long expressed our support for effective measures to increase community safety in shopping centres,” says SCCA CEO Angus Nardi.
“The measures proposed by the Western Australian Government are a step in the right direction and will also include the ability for senior police officers to order the formation of temporary ‘Knife Wanding Areas’ at public spaces, including shopping centres.
“We have been engaged with the Queensland and New South Wales Governments on their knife crime law reform, including laws to prohibit the sale of knives to people under 18, and the recent announcement to extend the Jack’s Law wanding powers into shopping centres.
“We look forward to continued engagement from the WA Government and WA Police to help deliver a safer community and reduce retail and youth crime,” Mr Nardi said.
The SCCA also welcomed proposed new jail sentences of 12 months and/or a fine of up to $12,000 for people who resist a wand scan, and increased penalties for people who illegally own a knife and people who sell knives to minors.
“These are a sensible measure to tackle rising incidents of retail crime committed by young people with the use of weapons across a range of settings. We are working closely with the National Retail Association on the roll-out of this similar law in Queensland,” Mr Nardi said.