More than 3,300 knives have been seized during person searches in the past year, leading to a safer NSW by removing the items from the streets.
To show the hazards these knives pose, police have today released vision showing the items being uncovered during searches occurring as part of day-to-day policing in NSW.
The vision also depicts the dangers these weapons can pose; including a man wielding knives at a shopping centre in Sydney’s south-west.
Deputy Commissioner Jeff Loy, Metropolitan Field Operations, said police powers, such as person searches, were crucial in the fight against knife crime.
“Each and every one of these weapons had the potential to be used to threaten or cause serious harm to members of the community.
“Not only are they extremely dangerous, but they can also be relatively easy to conceal,” Deputy Commissioner Loy said.
The success of person searches and move-on directions as a deterrence to crime is further highlighted in a report released today by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) entitled ‘The long terms effect of routine police activity on property and violence crime in NSW’.
Deputy Commissioner Loy said the correlation between police activity and a downward trend in crime was not surprising, however it reinforced the need for officers to continue with their proactive efforts.
“The report highlighted that an increase in police activity, whether in the form of a move-on direction or person search, helped suppress break-ins, motor vehicle theft and robbery.
“In NSW, we’ve gone from having more than 100,000 break-ins per year 16 years ago, to recent times, where we are seeing roughly 30,000 per year.
“This means proactive policing saw significantly less people being violated by having their home, car, or personal space invaded by a criminal.
“Our main priority will always be to ensure the safety of the people of NSW. We will continue to do all we can in this regard and will use all the tools and capabilities available to us to do so,” Deputy Commissioner Loy said.
