Overview
- Victoria Police report 15,010 blades seized so far in 2025, averaging 47 per day and surpassing last year’s 14,808.
- An additional 6,000 blades were surrendered in a machete amnesty, taking the total removed to about 21,000, Chief Commissioner Mike Bush says.
- Many items were found through search warrants at offenders’ homes, along with bail checks, vehicle intercepts and planned public weapons searches focused on youth gangs.
- The government has proposed a standalone knife offence carrying up to three extra years’ jail, with Premier Jacinta Allan saying the bill will be introduced before the end of 2025, alongside an interim machete sales ban, voluntary PSO patrols at shopping centres and funding for handheld metal detectors.
- Police acknowledge heightened public concern after recent fatal stabbings and a CBD attack, while offences rose 15.7% and retail incidents more than 20% to mid‑2025, prompting election‑year proposals including 200 extra PSOs from the opposition.