MELBOURNE – Leaders of Victoria’s Sikh community are calling for urgent public education as Victoria Police enacts expanded “stop and search” powers in the Melbourne CBD, sparking fears that religious freedoms may be caught in the crossfire of the crackdown on crime.

The new powers, which allow police to stop and search individuals without a warrant in declared areas of the CBD until May 2026, were introduced to combat rising knife crime. However, the Gurduara Council of Victoria (GCV) warns that the move could disproportionately affect initiated Sikhs, who are mandated by their faith to carry the kirpan, a small ceremonial dagger.

Harkirat Singh, a member of the GCV, highlighted the anxiety rippling through the community. Despite the kirpan being legally exempt from weapons bans under the Control of Weapons Act when carried for religious reasons, misunderstandings remain common.

“We receive at least two calls in a month on our helpline from amritdhari [initiated] Sikhs who have had an unfortunate encounter due to their kirpan,” Singh stated.

He recounted a personal incident where police were called on him at a multicultural event because of his kirpan—a symbol of a Sikh’s duty to protect the weak and uphold justice. “Even though the kirpan is exempted and we are legally allowed to wear it, the officer on duty was not aware of it,” Singh noted, adding that he had to produce an exemption card to resolve the situation.

Profiling Concerns

The expansion of warrantless search powers has drawn criticism from legal advocacy groups as well. The Inner Melbourne Community Legal (IMCL) centre described the powers as “complete overkill,” warning of the potential for racial profiling.

Data obtained by the Racial Profiling Data Monitoring Project indicates that Aboriginal, African, and Middle Eastern communities are already stopped and searched at significantly higher rates than white individuals. The Sikh community fears that without proper training and public awareness, they will be singled out simply for “looking different.”

“Historically, we know that if a person looks different, they have a higher chance of being singled out by the police,” Singh said. “We need to educate people about different cultures and identities to ensure better social cohesion.”

Police Assurance

In response to these concerns, Victoria Police have sought to reassure the community. A spokesperson affirmed that the force has “zero tolerance towards racial profiling” and that officers are trained to identify religious articles.

“Members of the Sikh community can be assured that carrying a kirpan for religious purposes is exempt,” the spokesperson said. “Police respond to a person’s behaviour, not their background.”

Despite these assurances, the GCV is urging for a broader awareness campaign to ensure that Sikhs can travel into the city for work, leisure, or worship without fear of public embarrassment or legal harassment.