Brett and Belinda Beasley lost their son Jack to a random stabbing attack in Queensland. Now the parents are on a crusade to change the law in NSW as the state sees an uptick in alleged violent crimes involving knives.
The Beasleys met with NSW Police Minister Yasmin Cately and Attorney General Michael Daley to lobby for “Jack’s Law” in the state, which would introduce wanding laws in public places.
The couple said the laws, which allow police to use a metal detector wand to search for weapons in party hotspots and on public transport without suspicion, were saving lives in Queensland. 
More than 500 weapons have been seized in 12 months under Jack’s Law. 
In NSW, “stop and search” powers are restricted, with officers only allowed to search a person if it’s believed they are “likely” to be carrying a weapon. 
“Absolutely it’s a no-brainer, who doesn’t want to walk around (and feel) safe?” Mr Beasley said.
“It (Jack’s Law) helps our kids be safe in the community … it’s working in Queensland, I don’t see how it wouldn’t work in any other state,” Ms Beasley added.
“It’s something that no parent ever should have to go through, it’s devastating … you relive it every time there’s another stabbing.”
The meeting came as NSW Police said there’d been an apparent uptick in alleged violent knife crime.
“There appears to be (an uptick)”, Homicide Squad commander Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty said while addressing the media this morning.
“We have seen, at least for the start of this year, a large number of acts of violence (involving knives) that resulted in deaths, and a lot have been females.”
Since the fatal stabbing of a teenager in Doonside on April 12, at least 32 people have been victims of knife crime in NSW, including the six victims of the Bondi Junction stabbing and the Wakely terror attack.
Just last night a man was arrested after allegedly chasing people around a park in Sydney’s west with a knife.
9News understands some type of knife reform is in the works, however, it may not mirror the Queensland wanding laws after the Minns government expressed concerns they could lead to racial profiling. 
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said he was onboard with the wanding laws.
“We want to see jacks law rolled out in NSW, we want to see police have general metal detecting wanding powers to detect knives right across NSW,” Speakman said.
“Wanding will cut the carrying of knives, and that will reduce knife crime and ultimately save lives.”
Western Australia’s Police Union also wants the metal detecting laws rolled out inside WA shopping centres.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if we seize that sort of number by using a scanning system,” WA Police Union president Paul Gale said.
Jack’s parents briefed WA’s Attorney General John Quigley last week, who is now exploring if the idea would work.
