A Tasmanian mother whose son was murdered in a knife attack has launched a GoFundMe campaign to buy 200 metal-detecting wands for police, saying she can’t wait any longer for government funding.
Laraine Ludwig announced the $80,000 fundraiser today, just days after a 20-year-old man was allegedly fatally stabbed on Hobart’s waterfront on Saturday night.
“It’s been nearly six years since my son was murdered,” Ludwig said.
“We now have the law, but we don’t have the tools to implement it.”
Ludwig successfully campaigned for ‘Reid’s Law’ after her son Reid was killed in 2019.
The legislation gives police powers to wand people reasonably suspected of carrying a weapon in nightlife precincts and high-risk areas, including Salamanca, the waterfront and regional events.
But Tasmania Police are still waiting on funding for a full rollout of the wands, delayed by the state election and the failure of the previous budget.
“We were told wands would be used routinely at known hot spots like Salamanca and the docks,” Ludwig said.
“Unfortunately it’s taken another incident to reveal that wands are not being used.”
She said the $400 devices have proven effective interstate, with Queensland police seizing more than 500 knives in the first year of their rollout.
A four-month trial of 15 wands in Tasmania earlier this year also showed results – 54 weapons, including 42 knives, were found during 213 searches.
“Tasmanians shouldn’t have to crowdfund for basic safety equipment but if that’s what it takes to stop another stabbing, we’ll do it,” she said.
“Every knife taken off the street is a potential life saved. We just can’t afford to wait any longer.”
Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar said “about one out of every four searches” during the trial uncovered a dangerous item.
Police Minister Felix Ellis said the state government had allocated $3.7 million in the May budget for wands, new tasers and ballistic vests – funding that wasn’t implemented due to the election.
He said the funding will be confirmed in the interim budget to be handed down in November.
