The Queensland state government has announced that they will ban the sale of knives to minors and increase the penalty for carrying a knife unlawfully in public. These measures come in response to calls from the Opposition, the public, and the police to address the issue of youth crime following recent incidents. One such incident involved the tragic death of a grandmother who was allegedly stabbed to death in front of her granddaughter in a shopping center carpark.
Premier Stephen Miles emphasized the importance of making Queenslanders feel safe and secure in their communities by imposing harsher penalties for carrying a knife in public. The government’s decision has been met with agreement and support from the police, who have requested increased powers to address serious youth offenders.
However, Queensland deputy opposition leader Jarrod Bleijie expressed concern about the time it took for the government to take action, citing instances that he believed could have been avoided had the laws been stronger. His comments were in response to the news of a 16-year-old boy being charged with murder in connection to the stabbing of the grandmother.
Queensland police commissioner Katarina Carroll has highlighted the changing nature of offending post-COVID, revealing that there has been an increase in violence. She acknowledged the success of diverting children away from the system but also pointed out that a small group of children were responsible for the majority of offenses, which have escalated in violence.