New Knife Search ‘Wanding’ Powers Granted to NSW Police

Police have been given more powers after the stabbing rampage at Westfield Bondi Junction, and the church attack.

Armed police patrol outside the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping mall after a stabbing incident in Sydney on April 13, 2024. David Gray/ AFP via Getty Images

Police in New South Wales (NSW) will be granted new “wanding” powers to search for knives in crowded areas without a warrant.

The news follows two recent stabbing attacks in Sydney, including the Bondi stabbing rampage that killed six people, and the knife attack on a Christian bishop.