Tasmania Police have seized 82 weapons in five months using metal-detection wands, with officers carrying out more than 8,000 searches across the state since the powers were introduced last November.
Police Minister Felix Ellis said the results showed the laws known as Reid’s Law were making a real difference.
He said around 20% of all charges for possessing a dangerous item in a public place had come from wand searches.
“Since 1 November, there have been 8,185 wand searches conducted, with 82 less weapons on the street,” he said.
The weapons seized included knives, box cutters, scissors, metal bars and multi-tools.
Between November 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026, there were 401 total charges for possessing a dangerous item in a public place.
Commander Jason Elmer said the wands allowed police to search people in a less intrusive way.
“They are a fantastic addition to, I guess, the tools that we have to combat crimes, you know, around particularly some of our public place precincts, our retail precincts, our hospitality sort of areas,” Elmer said.
He said police had 300 wands across the state and had used them at large events including the Hobart Regatta, as well as at waterfronts, retail strips and bus malls.
Elmer said officers could search anyone in a prescribed place for any reason and carried out wholesale wanding of people in those areas.
Asked whether profiling of minority groups had been an issue, Elmer said it had not.
“In a prescribed place, we can wand search any person, and we conduct large numbers of wand searches of multiple persons in those areas,” he said.
Hobart City councillor Louise Bloomfield said retailers and the night-time economy had welcomed the wands.
“There is no place for knives and weapons,” Bloomfield said.
“The fact that they know that they’re being removed and reduced and we’re alert for them, that’s actually a really great message.”
Ellis said a second stage of Reid’s Law would be announced in coming weeks, aimed at stopping the sale of knives to minors.
He also flagged that the attorney-general was working with retailers and police on new orders to stop repeat violent offenders from entering shops.
Elmer said retail theft had dropped 3% in 2025 and 10% in the first four months of 2026.
