Gun Policy News
More Officers Support Arming New Zealand Police
3 March 2019
Radio New Zealand
More and more police are in support of arming their own, Police Association figures show.
Sixty-six percent of assocation members supported general arming in a 2017 survey, up 6 percent on 2015 and up 18 percent on 2008, when only 48 percent of police employees were in favour.
Christchurch police have announced frontline staff will remain armed until a wanted man is found. Police Association president Chris Cahill earlier said their arming could spell the beginning of... (GunPolicy.org)
Short-comings Identified in NSW Police Gun Registry
28 February 2019
Guardian
The New South Wales firearms registry has "critical gaps" in its ability to track the location of guns in the state and the agency lacks the "appropriate policies and guidance" to make decisions such as suspending licences.
The state's auditor general has released a damning review of the gun control agency, finding significant shortcomings in its capacity to police firearms.
Released on Thursday, Margaret Crawford's report found that in some cases address details of... (GunPolicy.org)
Results of WA Gun Control Campaign
3 January 2019
West Australian (Perth)
Close to 7 per cent of WA gun owners targeted in a six-week operation recently were pinged by police for allegedly not storing guns properly.
Police charged 185 gun owners with non-compliance offences out of 2710 addresses checked, with officers alarmingly finding 26 firearms had been lost or stolen. About 400 firearms, including 28 handguns, were seized.
Seventy-two people were charged with 320 unrelated offences. Operation Bluesun Commander Jo McCabe said she was... (GunPolicy.org)
Tasmanian Gun Dealer Charged With Gun Trafficking
4 December 2018
The Advocate
Police laid more than 80 firearms charges against a 58-year-old Ulverstone man on Tuesday.
In a release, police said a "lengthy criminal investigation" led to the charges being laid, along with a suspension of the man's firearms dealer's license and his personal firearms license.
He has been charged with 12 counts of unregistered firearm possession, 54 counts of a licensed firearms dealer failing to keep records in an approved form and four counts of possessing... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Prohibition Orders Soar But Gun Crime Remains Stable
27 November 2018
Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate and Daily Telegraph
Firearm Prohibition Orders (FPOs) have exploded more than 650 per cent in the past three years [In NSW] but have had little discernible impact on gun offences, analysis of crime data reveals.
[Subscription-only article: refer to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate and Daily Telegraph
NSW Authorities Collect 8,300 Firearms
25 October 2018
Advocate (Hobart) / Australian Associated Press
Police hope the 8300 weapons surrendered to NSW authorities during the latest gun amnesty will put a dent in the killing power of the state's criminals.
More than 1300 rifles, 400 shotguns and thousands of handguns were surrendered over the three months, NSW Police said on Thursday.
However, Australia-wide there are still more privately owned guns and illicit firearms in circulation today than ever before.
University of Sydney gunpolicy.org research estimates there... (GunPolicy.org)
Pro-gun Groups Used Ministerial Advisory Panel to Lobby Against Tighter Laws
20 October 2018
Guardian
Groups wanted former justice minister to recognise that 'lawful use of firearms can also have benefit to society'
Pro-gun groups used a ministerial advisory panel to lobby against mandatory 28-day cooling-off periods for firearms owners and to call for changes to the "genuine need" provisions which make up the backbone of Australia's gun laws.
Documents obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws reveal the former justice minister Michael Keenan... (GunPolicy.org)
Samoan Police Launch New Gun Amnesty
1 October 2018
Samoa Observer
Members of the public who will use a two-months gun amnesty to bring in their unregistered and illegal guns will get a $50 Electric Power Corporation voucher.
This was announced yesterday when the Police launched a two-month long amnesty in a bid to collect unregistered and illegal guns. The amnesty ends on 30 November 2018.
This is the third amnesty under the leadership of Police Commissioner, Fuiavaili'ili Egon Keil.
Acting Prime Minister, Tuitama Dr. Leao... (GunPolicy.org)
Former Firearms Dealer Charged With Gun Trafficking
10 September 2018
Newcastle Herald (New South Wales)
A former licensed firearms dealer has been charged with 101 offences and police have seized more than 1180 guns as part of an investigation into organised crime.
In November 2015, the Criminal Groups Squad's Strike Force Raptor commenced an investigation into the activities of an organised criminal network operating across Sydney. Investigations concentrated on underworld killings with a focus on the bikie community.
As part of their extensive inquiries, Strike Force... (GunPolicy.org)
Global Gun Deaths Reach 250,000
29 August 2018
Australian (Sydney)
Gun deaths worldwide total about 250,000 yearly and the United States is among just six countries that make up half of those fatalities, a study has found.
The results from one of the most comprehensive analyses of firearm deaths reveal "a major public health problem for humanity," according to an editorial published with the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Although recent headlines make it seem like gun killings are surging globally, the new... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Ownership Growing in Queensland
18 July 2018
Weekly Times
Gun ownership is on the rise in Queensland with the number of registered firearms increasing by more than 30 per cent in the past six years.
Police Minister Mark Ryan has revealed there were 844,129 firearms registered with police as of June 3 in response to a question on notice from the opposition.
It's a 30.09 per cent increase since 2013 when the total number of firearms registered with police was 648,852.
Mr Ryan says the increase can be largely put down to... (GunPolicy.org)
Destruction of Illicit Firearms in Costa Rica
18 July 2018
The Costa Rica Star
The General Directorate of Armaments in Costa Rica has destroyed 191 firearms this month, firearms which had been used in various crimes including homicide, robbery, drug trafficking, and illegal arms possession and sale. The Guns destroyed included 133 short weapons and 58 long weapons which have been in custody since 2012 and were previously used as evidence in criminal proceedings. They had been confiscated by the OIJ during raids throughout Costa Rica.
How many... (GunPolicy.org)
India Developing a National Firearm Registration Database
17 July 2018
Xinhua
NEW DELHI -- India will have a national database for all licenced gun holders from April next year, the government said.
The Home Ministry said in a notification that the names of all licenced gun holders across the country will be included in the national database and they are also to be given a unique identification number (UIN) from the next financial year.
"Every licensing and renewing authority will have to enter the data in the National Database of Arms Licenses... (GunPolicy.org)
Would-be Murderer Granted Special Gun Training Permit Despite Red Flags
10 July 2018
Sydney Morning Herald
John Edwards, the man who shot his two children dead last Thursday, was able to pursue his handgun training because he was granted a so-called "Commissioner's Permit", overriding red flags raised by his answers on declarations about his background.
It is understood this permit reassured officials at the St Mary's Indoor Shooting Centre that Edwards could legally undergo handgun training - the first step towards getting a handgun licence and then a permit in NSW -... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Licensing Procedures in Review After Family Murder
9 July 2018
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
GUN clubs may be asked to report suspect shooters and GPs permitted to break client confidentiality to stop a repeat of an incident like John Edwards' savage slaying of his children.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal Police Commissioner Mick Fuller and Police Minister Troy Grant are holding crisis meetings today and "everything is on the table", including working more closely with the Family Court where children are identified as at risk.
Edwards, 67, was turned away... (GunPolicy.org)
NSW Vetting Process in Question After Family Murder
9 July 2018
Australian (Sydney)
The man who shot his two teenage children dead before killing himself in Sydney's northwest last week would have been individually interviewed several times to get two "quite powerful" handguns, experts say, as the NSW Police Minister comes under pressure to review gun control laws.
John Edwards would have been interviewed by a shooting club, a pistol club and police before he could buy the two firearms he used in last Thursday's attack, in which the 67-year-old... (GunPolicy.org)
Samoan Police to Destroy 300 Guns
5 July 2018
Samoa Observer
The police will destroy close to 300 illegal firearms that they recovered during their operations.
Commissioner Fuiavailiili Egon Keil said questions remain on how the firearms were brought into the country as Samoa does not manufacture weapons or ammunition.
"This coming Thursday (today) at the police headquarter at 10 o'clock we have little less than 300 firearms that we will be destroying, just like what we did back in 2015. So these weapons will be destroyed... (GunPolicy.org)
Thousands of Homemade Guns Collected by Vietnamese Authorities
5 July 2018
Thanh Nien
In recent years, Quang Nam has had many traumatic accidents, affecting the lives and health of its citizens due to homemade guns.
4 July 2018 - the Police Department of Public Administration (PC64) in Quang Nam province handed over a large amount of weapons and dangerous objects to the Department of Police - Technical Security of the province for destruction.
Included are: 1,139 alcohol/air guns, 272 homemade guns, 54 military guns, 63 knives, 289 parts and... (GunPolicy.org)
238,700 People Carrying Firearm Licences in NZ
16 June 2018
Stuff (New Zealand)
A lobby group is arguing there is a "cascade of failure" in controlling gun control in New Zealand.
Mike Loder, from Shooters Lottery, says the biggest step police should take to reduce the number of cases of criminals pulling guns on cops is to tackle recidivism.
Data from the Ministry of Justice showed since the 1980s, 51 offenders had been convicted for two or more offences for use of a firearm against law enforcement officer.
Between 2016 and 2017, 368 people... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Disposal Issues in Bougainville
6 June 2018
Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
The non-disposal of all weapons on Bougainville may be the only major obstacle in the 2019 Bougainville referendum.
This means if all weapons are not completely destroyed or accounted for, which allegedly poses a threat, the referendum will not go ahead.
This was highlighted during the Bougainville referendum three-day conference in Port Moresby yesterday.
Serious issues confronting Bougainville's journey to referendum on independence also took precedence at the... (GunPolicy.org)
