Lake Haven Centre: Terrifying moment knife-wielding girl plunges shopping centre into lockdown before she is cornered by security
A teenage girl put a busy shopping centre into lockdown after she brandished a knife outside a Kmart before being cornered by security.
The teenager produced the knife in the Lake Haven Centre near Wyong, on the NSW Central Coast, at about 12:30pm on Monday.
In footage of the incident, the girl was seen surrounded by police officers and security guards in a corner of the shopping centre.
No threat was made to the public and the knife was eventually secured.
The teenager was taken to hospital for assessment.
The incident comes as the latest in a spate of knife attacks across Sydney including Wesfield Bondi Junction, Wakeley and Blacktown.
In footage of the incident, the young girl is surrounded by police officers and security guards in a corner of the shopping centre on NSW's Central Coast (pictured)
The girl is pictured brandishing the knife at the Lake Haven Centre
The shopping centre (pictured) went into lockdown over the incident on Monday afternoon
It was announced this week NSW Police will be granted new 'wanding powers' that will allow officers to scan people for bladed weapons without a warrant.
The powers are modelled on Queensland laws introduced after the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Jack Beasley during a brawl on the Gold Coast in 2019.
Police in NSW will be able to 'scan' or 'wand' people for knives with hand-held metal detectors in areas such as shopping centres, pubs and train stations.
The laws will not be in place 24/7 but can be activated for a 12-hour period.
It will also be illegal for retailers to sell knives to anyone under the age of 18 unless the buyer can prove they need it for work or study.
Retailers selling illegal knives will face even harsher penalties.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said his state will not accept these types of crimes.
'In recent weeks and months, we have all borne witness to the devastating outcomes of knife-related violence,' Mr Minns said in announcing the legislation.
'It's essential that we step up to take immediate action to send a clear message that NSW will simply not accept these kinds of crimes.
Jack Beasley, 17, was stabbed during a brawl on the Gold Coast, prompting new knife laws
NSW Premier Chris Minns announced new powers for police in a crackdown on knife crime
'Today we are announcing reform including legislation modelled on new powers for Police to search and detect knives in public spaces, based on Queensland's Jack's Law, and a commonsense increase to the age limit for purchasing knives from 16 to 18 to make it harder for children to get access to these deadly weapons.'
Police and Counter-Terrorism Minister Yasmin Catley said that the new measures would 'send a strong warning to would-be perpetrators'.
'These reforms will give police improved tools to quickly detect concealed knives and take action before a potential perpetrator has the chance to use them,' she said.
Queensland Police have scanned 39,000 people and seized 400 weapons since the introduction of Jacks Law operations last April.
Kitchen and butchers knives, hammers, hunting knives, knuckledusters and tomahawks were arrested in a bid to combat knife crime.
The latest rollout in NSW, which took place last month and involved over 800 officers, seized 51 knives and resulted in 145 people being charged with weapon-related offences, including seizure of a firearm.
Police seized 4000 knives in public places last year, after the NSW government doubled the penalties for those caught with a weapon in public.
READ MORE: Man with knife causes chaos at Melbourne shopping mall
Witnesses said the man with the knife was tackled by a heroic barber and held down
