POLICE have kicked off a metal-detecting wands trial in a bid to tackle knife crime on the Gold Coast.
Gold Coast District Superintendent Rhys Wildman launched the 12-month trial on Friday.
- Read more; Man charged after pub fight at Logan Village
- Read more: Police find weapons in raids
Police scanned 116 people in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach between Friday and Sunday night.
Two people were found carrying weapons during the operation. One was a screwdriver.
A man was found on Friday at midnight attempting to enter a nightclub with screwdriver concealed in his bag.
"This is a case and place investigation and there will be assessment by officers," Superintendent Wildman said.
"Carrying a screwdriver is not always an offence."
A 31-year-old man was slapped with a notice to appear in Southport Magistrates Court after he was found with a knife.
"While this is a prevention strategy and the intent for us is not to get arrests as such, we are finding that we are identifying other offences while conducting these scanning activities," Superintendent Wildman said.
Several legislative changes, including use of GPS trackers on repeat youth offenders, were passed including Gold Coast police given metal detectors to search youths for knives.
Read more local news here
