A Woolworths employee, Aarkin Shah, who was stabbed while riding his e-scooter home in Carnegie, has expressed a profound sense of insecurity about living in Melbourne. Nearly three months after the attack, Shah recalls the fear that grips him when he sees the scar left from the incident. He describes his current living situation as frightening, mentioning the general atmosphere of unease in Australia relating to knife crime.
In response to rising community concerns regarding knife violence, the Victorian government is launching a machete amnesty initiative. This programme will allow residents to surrender machetes and other dangerous weapons safely at designated amnesty bins across more than 40 police stations, starting tomorrow and running until the end of November. Police Minister Anthony Carbines emphasised that this initiative aims to make the state safer. He encouraged individuals to dispose of any dangerous weapons they may have, highlighting that machetes can be handed in along with other edged weapons.
While the government anticipates that the threat of significant penalties, including possible jail time and fines up to $47,000, will encourage compliance, there is currently no estimate of how many weapons might be collected. Carbines acknowledged that some individuals may choose to retain their weapons despite the risks involved, stating, “There are consequences.”
However, Shah is sceptical about the effectiveness of the amnesty programme. He doubts that criminals will willingly dispose of their weapons, particularly in visible locations. Moreover, he suggests that the focus should extend beyond machetes to include other types of knives, such as kitchen knives, if the aim is to reduce knife-related crime comprehensively.
Overall, Shah’s experience and concerns reflect a broader issue in Melbourne regarding personal safety and knife violence, raising questions about the efficacy of government measures in addressing these challenges.