Right: Weapons seized by police in operations. Most of the items were edged weapons, mainly knives, swords and machetes.
Background information
Under the Summary Offences and Control of Weapons Acts Amendment Act police can search anybody in a 'designated area' even if officers do not have any reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing by that person. These search powers can be applied to anyone, including children and the disabled.Any area where there has been an incident of violence involving a weapon in the past year can be deemed a designated area; as can any place where police suspect there may be trouble; or any major event precinct.
There are no limits on the size of a designated area, although it can only be designated for a maximum of 12 hours.
A new offence of disorderly conduct has been created.
Police are able to fine people for the offences of drunk and disorderly, disorderly conduct and for being drunk.
Officers can demand somebody 'move on' if they believe they may be going to commit a breach of the peace
Control of weapons legislation in Victoria
Victorian laws control and regulate the ownership and use of various types of weapons apart from firearms. The Control of Weapons Act 1990 (Vic) identifies three broad categories of non-firearm weapon namely:
'prohibited weapons' - which means any of the 46 weapons listed in Schedule2 of the Control of Weapons Regulations 2000 (Vic) and includes flick knives, daggers, knuckle knives, knuckle dusters, throwing blades, whips with metal lashes, studded or weighted gloves and stun guns;
'controlled weapons' - which means a knife, other than a knife that is a prohibited weapon, plus the seven weapons listed in Schedule 2 of the Control of Weapons Regulations 2000 (Vic) (i.e. crossbows, cattle prods, bayonets, batons or cudgels, swords, imitation firearms and spearguns); and
'dangerous articles' - which means an article which has been adapted or modified so as to be capable of being used as a weapon; or any other article which is carried with the intention of being used as a weapon (e.g. a cricket stump or bat carried in a crowded area)..
Stop and search laws in Great Britain
Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 allows the police to stop and search anyone in a specific area.
Any constable in uniform is authorised to stop a vehicle in an area or at a place specified in the authorisation and to search the vehicle, the drivers and passengers and anything in or on the vehicle or carried by the driver or a passenger. Any constable in uniform is authorised to stop a pedestrian in an area or at a place specified in the authorisation and to search the pedestrian and anything carried by him.
The police can give a suspect a pat down, remove all clothes, search bags, empty the suspect's pockets, if anything is found or suspected to be found a cavity search can be executed.
The suspect does not have to give their name and address. The suspect does not have to explain why they are there. Suspects are not allowed to flee the search. There is no permission to collect the suspect's DNA data during the search. The suspect does not have to comply with any attempt to photograph or record them.
Section 44 has been used by the police to stop and search many people other than terrorism suspects. This has included journalists, a man photographing a police car and Walter Wolfgang, a heckler at the Labour Party Conference. Vernon Coaker, the Minister of State has since stated that, 'counter-terrorism measures should only be used for counter-terrorism purposes'.