Proposed changes will make it much easier for Victorian Police to conduct random weapon searches in an attempt to combat knife crime.
Revealed by the Herald Sun, the government’s proposal would see current requirements to conduct searches eased.
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Current law under the Control of Weapons Act restricts police to conducting random weapon searches within designated search areas for up to 12 hours.
But, a certain amount of information regarding the likelihood of weapons violence must be known before declaring a designated area.
Searches must be advertised, and police cannot return to the area for another search within 10 days.
If the new changes are legislated, designated areas could be classified as permanent places of concern, meaning searches could be carried out without restriction.
The proposal comes after a growing number of knife crime incidents have occured in the state, particuarly acts by youth.
Police Minister Anthony Carbines told the Herald Sun the changes would be a further measure to mitigate knife crime in the state.
“Knives are an incredibly dangerous weapon that can inflict serious harm and heartbreak, there’s no reason for anyone to be carrying one around,” he said.
“We will amend the Control of Weapons Act so police can conduct their searches more easily, for longer periods and in more situations, because we’ll always give police the tools they need.”