A year after WA Police were given powers to search for weapons, how effective has it been?

Looking at some of the weapons seized at Perth Police Station, WA Police Acting Senior Sergeant Dave Ball said it “becomes disbelieving that we have a party area and people are coming into this area armed with weapons like this.”

Whitby said while gun carrying was an issue, people in Perth had reason to feel safe, with only a small number of customers carrying edged weapons with them.

“102 thousand scans were carried out and 228 weapons were seized,” he said.

“The vast majority of people we see in the city are not armed or carrying weapons.”

As a result of the searches, 1,926 charges were laid across WA; most of these were for gun or drug possession.

Senior Sergeant Dave Ball said the scans were successful.

“The public has been extremely understanding and we have almost no problems,” he said.

Last year, only 14 people were charged with failing to comply with screenings.

As the party season continues in full swing, police have warned that the number of patrols will be increased to ensure everyone can celebrate safely.

“We promote community safety; we want individuals who come to the party area legally to feel safe,” Ball said.

via 9 News Perth.