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🇦🇺 Australia /Conflict & Security

One in 10 people scanned for weapons in Queensland identified as First Nations, data shows

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Police in Queensland, Australia, conducted over 160,000 weapon scans under expanded powers, with 11% of those scanned identifying as First Nations people.
  • Advocates expressed concern over the disproportionate scanning of Indigenous individuals, who represent 4.6% of the population, citing potential cultural stereotyping and impacts on Closing the Gap targets.
  • Police stated that scanning operations are based on identified risks, not demographics, while legal services called for a review of police discretion and the reintroduction of a threshold for wanding.

Police in Queensland, Australia, scanned over 160,000 people for weapons under expanded powers between July 2025 and June 2026, with 11% of those scanned identifying as First Nations people. This figure is more than double the proportion of Indigenous people in the state's population, which stands at 4.6% according to 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics data.

Those percentage figures ... about two and a half times what you'd expect, are certainly concerning.

— Greg ShadboltPrincipal legal officer of ATSILS Queensland, commenting on the disproportionate scanning of First Nations people.

Greg Shadbolt, principal legal officer for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (ATSILS) in Queensland, voiced significant concern over the statistics. He noted that the percentage of First Nations people scanned is "about two and a half times what you'd expect" and highlighted the need for improved training to address potential cultural stereotyping. Shadbolt emphasized that ATSILS opposes measures to reduce knife violence but is worried about how wanding fits into the broader issue of First Nations over-representation in the criminal justice system, which contradicts efforts to reduce Indigenous incarceration rates.

It really does come down to training and so on and addressing the potential for cultural stereotyping.

— Greg ShadboltPrincipal legal officer of ATSILS Queensland, discussing concerns about police practices.

George Newhouse, chief executive of the National Justice Project, echoed these concerns, calling the disparity "significant." He questioned whether police discretion is disproportionately drawing First Nations people into the system or if specific areas are being targeted. Newhouse advocated for the reintroduction of a "threshold" requirement before police can stop and wand individuals. Previous data from April 2023 to February 2025 showed First Nations people making up 6.92% of total scans. Queensland police possess the authority to randomly search individuals for weapons in public places without a warrant.

That's contrary to the Closing the Gap targets for trying to reduce the numbers of First Nation Australians in prisons.

— Greg ShadboltPrincipal legal officer of ATSILS Queensland, linking wanding statistics to national Indigenous incarceration reduction goals.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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