New police powers to scan people for weapons have begun in the Northern Territory with hundreds already checked by hand held wands and a dozen potential weapons found. The laws were introduced to NT parliament on urgency earlier this year after a series of stabbing attacks and alleged murders by edged weapons.
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00:00 A scan, a search and a pair of scissors pulled out of a bag.
00:07 It's totally random. If they're in this particular area which has been declared an authorised area,
00:12 then anyone within that area can be tested and checked.
00:17 Northern Territory Police today put on a display of their new so-called 'wanding powers' at Palmerston Bus Interchange,
00:24 with passengers scanned and searched for weapons, some supportive of the new measures.
00:30 It's Averdue. I'm coming to Averdue.
00:32 Fair enough, because it's for the safety of other people.
00:35 It's a good idea. Keep everybody safe.
00:39 The new powers, which have just been rolled out, were made into law earlier this year after multiple stabbings,
00:45 including the alleged murder of bottle shop worker Declan Lavity
00:49 and of a 51-year-old Aboriginal woman killed outside a Darwin hotel.
00:54 We've seen 399 people wandered with 12 weapons detected.
00:59 Ten have been seized. Out of that, we've had six cautions.
01:03 It's a very clear message. Don't go armed in public.
01:07 Police say the first wanding operations in Alice Springs and Catherine have already turned up numerous pairs of scissors,
01:14 and this acts at an Alice Springs shopping centre.
01:18 There's been concerns raised in NT Parliament that the new laws could result in the racial profiling of Aboriginal people.
01:24 That's a claim that the NT's Police Commissioner has refuted.
01:28 There's no racial profiling. We're indiscriminate. We wand everyone.
01:32 Kids, adults, yeah, we're engaging with everyone.
01:36 Even people we're searching are really appreciative that the police are actually doing something
01:41 to try and reduce the amount of violent crime that's out there at the moment.
01:46 These wands now the new normal, but no magic fix for a crime issue that lingers on.
01:52 [BLANK_AUDIO]