Greens say tougher penalties won’t make anyone safer as experts point out knife-related crime is at a 20-year low
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The New South Wales government’s plan to double the penalties for people holding or brandishing knives in public has been described as a “kneejerk” response to recent high-profile stabbings despite knife-related crimes being at a 20-year low in the state.
The changes introduced to parliament on Tuesday would see people caught with knives facing up to four years in jail or $4,400 in fines, with the penalty jumping to $11,000 if someone is caught wielding a knife in public or at a school.
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