Well, good morning Melbourne. It is just gone seventeen away. Tomiroles Smith there, you're on the air with Jason Lauren Clint's here as well. Very special one of these.
Today, Jason Lawrence, tell me what you know.
We love the Victorian Police. We catch up with different areas of the cops. I went diving with the water Police. We normally have Cheesy, our resident friendly cop in Today we've got his boss, commanded. Tim Tully's joining us on the YIR Good Morning team.
Good morning morning to him. Thanks for being here.
You've had a lot of silverware on your shoulders.
It's a heavy burden a bit.
Ye, you've got a big job, don't you.
Looking after Cheesey. Yes, he's a great lad. He is a good man che he really is.
But we're excited to have a big dog commander.
It's a big day here in Victoria. We've heard a lot about the machete band which comes into place at midday in the wake of what was quite distressing scenes at Northland at the weekend. A Victoria Police ready for this machete ban.
Yeah, as ready as we can be in terms of the interim ban. So as of midday today there's an interim ban on the sale of machetes, which is effective right across the state. That's a complete ban on the sale of machetes from midday. As I said, it's certainly an interim ban until the permanent legislation is introduced and permanent ban comes into effect on the firstest.
What would be the difference then when the permanent band comes in.
Certainly the legislation comes into effect on the first of September, so the interim ban, we hope, will choke the immediate supply of machetes and hopefully prevent some of those getting out onto the street at the moment in preparation for the legislation that's introduced in them versus September.
So, as police officers, does this just give you an extra thing to do to go around to all those stores that are selling them and make sure they're doing the right thing and they're not selling them.
My understanding is that the enforcement in that space we have retailers that are selling machetes in defiance of the interim ban, that will be something for the Consumer Affairs Task Force to look into. So the enforcement activities will be carried out by them, But that certainly will not stop the police looking or continuing to target people who are carrying machees.
So it's not police going door to door. It's going to be consumer affairs Victoria.
Is it absolutely?
Which is good because you have enough on your plate. You don't need to be policing what's happening in retail store.
And that's correct, and certainly we will assist where we can, but it's consumer affairs taskles that.
We listen to that Do you think this is going to make a difference.
I hope it will make a difference. And certainly anything we can do to choke the supply and stem the supply and flow of machetes or large deeds weapons out into the street is a step in the right direction.
Because when we see things like what happened at Northland and you hear stories about it being a fifteen year old kid or a sixteen year old kid. Are those kids currently allowed to go into a retail store and buy a machete?
Can? No? No? I mean so they've got.
Them, they've acquired them illegally anyway, Absolutely so, is it is this the right step forward?
Look, it is a step in the right direction in terms of trying to stem the flow. Most certainly, we look forward to the permanent band that comes into effect on the first September and the range of other changes to the legislation that will also asist.
It's a step in the right direction, exactly.
It's better than nothing, Tim Commander, This is quite personal to me because I was involved in quite a violent crime about a year and a half ago. If someone lost their life and I can finally talk about it, and I'm going to on the show tomorrow, but I've been quite frustrated with how long this has taken, and I can imagine you guys must.
Be just as frustrated. Look, why don't things get turned around quicker? Look, it's a good question.
I suppose with any issue that issues, there are a number of factors and issues that need to be considered before we make wholesale changes to legislation. It certainly is a welcome change. The legislation that comes to effect later this year is a welcome change. You know, it can be frustrat but you know, we have to make certain that any changes to the legislation that are made, we're factored in all the different stakeholders and all the different permutations.
So we don't cause other issues as a direct result.
There is already so much which is driven underground. Are you concerned that knives, machetes, violent weapons will be driven underground by this bent Look.
It's possible that will occur.
I think if you look at the classification of machetes under the new legislation, it puts them in the sphere of a prohibited weapon. There are a control weapon at the moment, and without getting into the definitions, that's where they will end up, certainly with a prohibited weapon. If you do not have an exemption, you cannot bring into Victoria, you cannot cause to be brought in Victoria. You cannot manufacture, you cannot display or sell a prohibited weapon.
Well, I was just gonn as when we talking about machetes, because we're ining this conversation off the air yesterday.
What's classed as a machete?
Well, I say, I wouldn't even know what a machete, hunting.
Knives, all that sort of stuff.
Look, I think a machete will have a definition in terms of the length of the blade, and certainly what we've seen what traditionally I think you know when I was growing up, but I was around. Machete was at a certain size and shape, and what you've seen in recent times, they've certainly become you know, very very far removed from what we were traditionally called a machete that perhaps could be used in some form of employment. Certainly they're gaining popularity online sales and the like.
Yeah, and you know the styles.
Of being sold online as well.
I think that's an area that will need to be looked at.
Someone's caught with the machete as of mid day to day on the streets, the clearly shouldn't have one.
What happened?
What recourse do you have?
So if someone today is found in possession of a machete on the streets, it is still a controlled weapon and they must have a reasonable excuse to actually do that. So they must carry it in a secure manner that is consistent with the lawful excuse. So a lawful excuse will be lawful employment. It could be a sport or a lawful recreation, or could be a legitimate display or collection. It is most certainly not for self defense.
Can you arrest someone for having someone or do you confiscate it if they've got it for the wrong reasons?
What powers to the police.
So I certainly there may be arrest powers there. Certainly we can confiscate that. Certainly there are some search powers, so we need to believe in reasonable grounds and possession. There are other powers in terms of any search warrants that we may have or if it's in a designated area where we can actually search without reasonable.
And this is.
The first type of it's you know, the first ban of its type in Australia. Remember the gun amnesty going back into the nineties. This akin to the gun amnesty.
I think it could be in a way, So there's a I think if you're going to have an amnesty, then what you need to put in place.
What's an amnesty?
Sorry, you're basically in the way of the Port Arthur mat Yeah, hand and you get exactly handing into the guns that you.
Can do that obviously without comitting an offense. So to actually do that you need the infrastructure and the processes in place, and you need to be able to communicate that to the community so they can actually attend a place lawfully carrying it to actually hand it in. Certainly, we don't want people, you know, at the moment walking into police stations with machines and things like that.
We need, you.
Know, we need you made a plan and it must be hard for you guys when things like this come in so quickly, because there's been some criticism of the Victorian government that this is a knee jerk reaction and it's a band aid and it's actually putting the police under more pressure.
Look, I think it's in our nature to pivot in terms of the changes that come in as best we possibly can. We understand that these things take time. But again, I think the band today is a step in the right.
Well, team, you guys are working around the clock and I know you spread thin already. Thank you for the job you guys do.
Yeah, you do an amazing job. Thank you very much, and just quickly.
It must be frustrating when I know, I mean, I'm outraged at these kids that were allegedly in this fighting at Northland were out on bail, that you guys basketballs to go and arrest them again and then they get some of them get released back into the community. Do you sometimes just put your hand in the air and go, what are we doing this for?
Look, I think the new bail laws are certainly assisting it's a step in the right direction. Again, it's certainly made a difference, and we've.
Seen that, so you have seen that it's made a different rebsolutely.
And I appreciate that our members sometimes get frustrated, but I think they're very passionate about what they do.
Absolutely otherwise they wouldn't be.
Can't we just go back to the eighties where can be like I've lost of the keys to the paddy wagon they left to stay in there.
It doesn't work. That doesn't work like that.
Just very quickly, why are we seeing an explosion in these violent attacks at shopping centers? Well, why do you think the gangs are going to public places like this?
That's a really good question and I wish I knew the answer. So certainly, when we have these types of incidents, I think it's fair to say that they're not common. But when we do have them, quite clearly they're in a public environment and they impact on the community who
are just going about their business. It's very sad to think that, you know, we have rival gangs that whatever conflict or whatever issue is there, they think it's appropriate to go out to a very public place and undertake the behavior that we saw on the weekend.
I wish I knew the answer. I wish I knew the answer to that.
It's a different world.
People should feel safe.
Yeah, well that's what I was going to say.
People are scared now to go to shopping, SeNSS to go to these high traffic areas. Is that something Victoria Police are looking at having a bigger police presence in these really busy spots.
So I think what you'll see over the next couple of days into the next couple of weeks that Northland will have a visible policing presence and reassurance.
Patrols, just to make sure that that makes people feel.
Absolutely we want to feel safe when they go about their normal business and day to day activities. I think some of the new legislation that will come in in terms of designated areas for a longer period of time rather than say for the twelve hours that we've seen, we'll make a difference as well.
Hey, we really appreciate your time this morning when I was busy, commanded Tim Tully joining us on the air.
Thanks coming in, Tim, Thank you very much for my pleasure.
Victoria Police do a great job. We appreciate all of you in frustrating and difficult.
Jason really straightened up. He was like, I've got a call him commander.
Yeah, I actually went out and asked him for a hug.
And what did he say, Well, you're
Not Lauren l wake up feeling good following them on the socials