NO LOGIC TO KNIFE FIGHTS

WHEN police union official Andy Williams called for random searches of people anywhere to check for knives and other weapons, he did not hold back.

Sickened by the incidence of stabbings and a growing death toll, Sergeant Williams said the “wanding’’ of people in party precincts in the wake of the shocking death of Gold Coaster Jack Beasley should be extended to any public place. Writing in the police union publication in April, he accused magistrates “sitting safe behind their metal detectors and security staff” of being too willing to accept excuses trotted out when defendants claimed to be carrying knives for lawful reasons.

There is a dangerous trend in society that police have been flagging for some time. Indeed it has moved beyond “dangerous” and become downright lethal.

Youths and in some instances children have been carrying knives in what appears to be an escalating arms race on the streets and around stations and shopping centres.

Police were hammering the point again yesterday. Detective Superintendent Brendan Smith warned of a 63 per cent increase in knife crime in the city over the past five years and contrary to a view that much of the problem arrives by train from Brisbane and Logan, he said 67 per cent of knife crimes had been committed by locals.

As he said, “this is not Grand Theft Auto, there is no reset button”. It defies belief that youths would fail to recognise that but given the speed with which kids pull knives and use them in an altercation, it is evident zero thought goes into the consequences of those few seconds of flailing around with a blade. The result in too many instances has been tragedy. Victims’ families are shattered permanently.

Even when someone suffers relatively minor cuts, the consequences are serious – provided the courts do their job. But as police say, the kids won’t listen to them so the real pressure has to come from peers reinforcing the point that carrying and using a knife is just plain dumb.