Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
New Zealand Firearms Registry to Launch This Week
20 June 2023
Radio New Zealand
The New Zealand Firearms Registry is set to go live on 24 June, nearly four years after it was proposed in the wake of the Christchurch Mosque terror attacks.
Police and gun control advocates say the system will be an essential tool in reducing firearm harm, but licensed gun owners say they are being unfairly targeted as the source of danger.
After 24 June, the country's nearly 240,000 licensed gun owners have up to five years to register their firearms using the new... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Injuries and Deaths Increasing in New Zealand
31 August 2022
Radio New Zealand
Data released by police under the Official Information Act shows 10 murder or manslaughter deaths in 2022, up until 31 July. There were 11 in total in 2021.
Injuries are also running at a record rate, on track to exceed 300 firearm-related injuries for the first time. In 2021, there were 298 gun-related injuries recorded by police, the highest ever.
That was despite a year on year drop in the number of firearms-related crimes police have had to deal with.
In 2021,... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Making 'Significant Progress' with Gun Owners
14 June 2022
Radio New Zealand
Police say they've made "significant progress" in building "trust and confidence" with gun owners.
More than 61,000 firearms were surrendered in the buy-back and amnesty scheme.
The Auditor-General found the collections were carried out with empathy and respect.
Police have now published a follow-up report.
It says they have worked with gun owners to rewrite weapon safety and storage guides and test a new police firearms website.
And it says they have partnered... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Documents Stolen from New Zealand Police Station
8 June 2022
Radio New Zealand
Documents including firearms licensing information and personal details have been stolen from the former Auckland Central Police Station.
Four people had been charged to date, Auckland City District Commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus said.
Police are now contacting people whose documents have been obtained as a result of the burglary.
There was nothing to indicate any involvement of organised criminal groups in this burglary at this stage, Malthus said.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Australia,United States,New Zealand
Australia, UK, New Zealand Tackled Mass Shootings
1 June 2022
CNN, Opinion
A man – almost always a man – commonly with no criminal history and no diagnosis of mental illness, armed with a lawfully obtained semiautomatic 'assault' weapon, kills and injures a large number of innocents in a place they imagined to be safe.
It happens around the world, but horrifyingly more and more often in the United States, most recently in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York.
To those of us who live in culturally similar nations, but where the... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Firearms Laws Won't Change Situation Overnight
1 February 2022
Radio New Zealand
New firearm laws come into effect today, including more stringent vetting for licences and tougher rules for ammunition sellers.
The Arms Amendment Regulations 2021 is the latest tranche of changes made following the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch terrorist attack.
Among them, new vetting rules will require those seeking a firearms licence to list the countries they have visited in the past five years.
Under the law change, any country in which a... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,New Zealand,United Kingdom,Falkland Islands,Mexico
How US Gun Culture Stacks Up With the World
26 November 2021
CNN
Ubiquitous gun violence in the United States has left few places unscathed over the decades. Still, many Americans hold their right to bear arms, enshrined in the US Constitution, as sacrosanct. But critics of the Second Amendment say that right threatens another: The right to life.
America's relationship to gun ownership is unique, and its gun culture is a global outlier.
As the tally of gun-related deaths continue to grow daily, here's a look at how gun culture in... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Gun Buyback Cost More to Run Than Paid Out to Owners
10 August 2021
Radio New Zealand
This year's gun buyback and amnesty cost more to run than was paid out to firearms owners.
Just over $2.4m was paid out to gun owners who handed in their firearms as part of the buyback, while the total cost of the scheme was $6.2m.
Administrative costs outweighed the money spent on taking dangerous guns out of circulation.
It is the second time the police have run a firearms buyback and amnesty since changes to gun laws in the wake of the Christchurch mosque... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Sees a Rise In Gun Crime Despite Government Clampdown on Guns
15 March 2021
RNZ (New Zealand)
The government's clampdown on firearms and seizures of high-powered semi-automatic weapons has had no impact on a rise in gun crime and violence in New Zealand.
Today marks the second anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks, in which military style semi-automatic weapons, purchased legally, were used to gun down 51 innocent worshippers.
That sparked tougher gun laws and the much debated firearms buy-back.
But in 2020, gun crime hit a new peak.
Police figures... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Gun Laws a Win for Campaigners
19 June 2020
Radio New Zealand
A gun register may be delayed for three years, but Gun Control New Zealand is still claiming it as a victory.
New legislation passed yesterday paving the way for the register and a warning system to show if a licence holder is a fit and proper person.
The nationwide register won't come into force until 2023. But nonetheless it's a big win for gun control, says Otago University public health researcher and Gun Control NZ founder Hera Cook.
"The overwhelming majority -... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Firearm Registry 'Crucial' to Any Gun Law Reform
3 March 2020
Newsroom
Since countries the world over began regulating firearm ownership in the 19th century, there have been three central pillars of gun control policy common to almost every nation: seeing ownership as a privilege instead of a right, a licensing system for owners, and a registry of weapons.
New Zealand never followed through with all three. While no judge in the country would ever overturn precedent to insist firearm ownership is a right, the nation has generally had... (GunPolicy.org)
GunPolicy Director on Proposed Firearms Registry in New Zealand
28 February 2020
New Zealand Herald
Gun owners decrying law reforms are selfish by putting personal inconveniences above public safety, a gun safety expert says.
And Philip Alpers, who used to host TV show Fair Go and is now a public health expert, supports a national gun register because he believes it would make the biggest improvement to community safety.
A bill that would set up a register, among other things, is currently passing through Parliament and its passage might depend on NZ First, which is... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Ban on Most Semiautomatic Weapons Takes Effect
20 December 2019
New York Times
A sweeping nationwide ban on most semiautomatic weapons took effect in New Zealand on Saturday, as a monthslong gun buyback and amnesty program ended amid debate over its success.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had announced a temporary ban just days after a terror attack on two mosques in Christchurch in March that left 51 people dead and was streamed live on Facebook. Weeks later, all but one of Parliament's 120 lawmakers voted to make the ban permanent. It outlaws... (GunPolicy.org)
Next Phase of NZ Gun Reform to Include Revival of Firearm Registry
14 October 2019
The Conversation
Following the Christchurch mosque shootings, the New Zealand government's first response was to ban the firearms the alleged gunman had used to murder 51 people.
Seven months later, the second tranche of this process is underway. This new law which emphasises that the possession and use of firearms is a privilege (as opposed to a legal right), aims to ensure that people in lawful possession of their firearms act responsibly in the interests of personal and public... (GunPolicy.org)
Survey Reveals a Third of NZ Gun Owners Distrust Gun Lobby
13 August 2019
The Conversation
The terrorist attacks on the Christchurch Muslim community on 15 March this year resulted in a political response that was decidedly different from what usually follows mass shootings in the United States.
The speed of legislative action, banning military-style semi-automatic weapons (MSSAs) within days of the attack, was remarked on both at home and around the world. Some gun owners began handing over their MSSAs to police voluntarily after the attacks, and hundreds... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Begins Buy-back of Assault Weapons
20 June 2019
Reuters
WELLINGTON - New Zealand's government on Thursday launched a multimillion-dollar, six-month "buy-back" scheme to compensate owners of powerful but newly banned semi-automatic weapons prohibited in the wake of deadly attacks on two mosques in the Southern city of Christchurch.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson and Minister of Police Stuart Nash said in a joint emailed statement that NZ$208 million ($135.97 million) had been set aside to compensate owners of the banned... (GunPolicy.org)
PM Ardern on Gun Control in US and NZ
15 May 2019
Washington Post
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke out this week about a matter that has long puzzled many foreign observers of the United States: the country's inability to rein in gun violence.
Speaking to CNN's Christiane Amanpour, the prime minister said: "Australia experienced a massacre and changed their laws. New Zealand had its experience and changed its laws. To be honest with you, I do not understand the United States."
Ardern was referring both to a 1996... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Violence in Homicide Report Database
13 May 2019
Stuff (New Zealand)
An unprecedented Stuff investigation has identified every homicide in New Zealand in the past 15 years, revealing the vast majority of those who kill with guns are unlicensed and their weapon of choice is often a .22 calibre rifle or shotgun.
The Homicide Report, which has been nearly three years in the making, is the country's first publicly searchable database of homicides. It encompasses 1068 men, women and children killed from January 2004 to March 31, 2019.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
1 May 2019
Stuff (New Zealand)
The Homicide Report relies on information from more than 800 coronial findings, hundreds of court documents, police sources and news stories from Stuff's archives.
We categorised each case according to the victim's age and gender, their relationship to the killer, cause of death, location and a host of others.
We then analysed them to look for significant groupings of homicides with similar characteristics that might reveal some underlying problem or cause.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Law Change Fast-track has 'Outpaced' Gun Lobby
2 April 2019
Radio New Zealand
The speed with which the government has fast-tracked changes to firearms laws has left the gun lobby in a spin, according to an Australian academic.
By the end of next week, politicians expect the Arms Amendment Bill to come into force.
It will ban semi-automatic weapons and military style semi-automatics, with the exception of shotguns and low-calibre rifles.
Parts, magazines and ammunition which can make a gun illegal will also be banned, and there will be tougher... (GunPolicy.org)
Consensus on New Zealand Gun Control
29 March 2019
Policy Forum (Canberra)
In the wake of the worst terror attack in New Zealand's history, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has shown outstanding leadership on gun control, building a consensus for reasonable reform that other leaders have much to learn from, Michael Picard writes.
New Zealand's response to the Christchurch mass-shooting shows that a country can find unity, rather than division, on gun reform. Strong and definitive leadership, a balanced approach to reforming gun laws, and... (GunPolicy.org)
How the Gun Lobby Made NZ Less Safe
17 March 2019
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Australians over 40 can identify with the grief gripping New Zealand just now. We felt it in the aftermath of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, when 35 people were murdered and dozens more wounded at the popular holiday location in Tasmania. Just as in Christchurch, the Port Arthur killer was a 28-year-old loner with no criminal record armed with semi-automatic weapons.
A global outpouring of grief has come after at least 49 people were killed in a Christchurch mosque... (GunPolicy.org)
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)
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)
Over 60,000 Registered Firearms in NZ
14 February 2018
Scoop (New Zealand)
Address to Otago University Public Health Summer School, Wellington
By Chris Cahill
President, NZ Police Association
The Police Association welcomes the timing of this symposium because it is clear to us that New Zealand needs to have a co-operative, common sense conversation about firearms.
We need to avoid resorting to extremes which we see paralysing jurisdictions such as the United States.
It has to be noted that the NRA has even inserted itself into our firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Breakdown of NZ Firearms Endorsements
10 December 2017
Stuff (New Zealand)
Data From Infographic Showing Number of Endorsed License Holders
B (Pistol) category: 3,840
C (Collector) category: 4,003
D (Dealer) category: 462
E (Military Style Semi Automatic) category: 6,941
F (Dealer Restricted) category: 526
V (Visitor) category:... (GunPolicy.org)
1.5 Million Firearms Estimated to be in NZ
4 October 2017
Stuff (New Zealand)
As the United States comes to terms with one of its deadliest mass shooting in modern history after 59 people massacred at a Las Vegas music festival, the bitter argument about gun control will be a talking point yet again. Brad Flahive and Andy Fyers take a look at the gun debate in New Zealand.
The small seaside town of Aramoana was the site of New Zealand's worst mass murder in modern history. After an argument with his neighbour, David Gray shot and killed 13... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Knowledge of Gun Laws 'Unacceptable' - NZ Police
28 July 2017
NewsHub
Newshub has obtained an internal police document that shows a number of failures in the way police deal with firearms.
It shows their knowledge of the law around firearms is at an "unacceptable level", the licensing system is "no longer fit for purpose" and police and customs processes are "obsolete" and "leaving gaps".
Two women were shot dead on Wednesday by Whangarei man Quinn Patterson, who was amassed by an arsenal of illegal guns.
An admission by police chiefs... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Botswana,Cook Islands,Fiji,Iceland,Ireland,Kiribati,Malawi,Marshall Islands,Nauru,New Zealand,Niue,Norway,Samoa,Solomon Islands,Tonga,Tuvalu,United Kingdom,Vanuatu,Virgin Islands (US)
The 19 Countries That Do Not Arm Their Police Officers
19 July 2017
CNN
A woman who called 911 to report a nearby crime was killed by a US police officer last weekend. The circumstances surrounding her death are still unclear.
The fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk, a dual Australian-US national who had settled in Minnesota in 2014, has made headlines in both her native Australia and her adopted home in Minneapolis – once again reigniting the all too familiar debate surrounding the role that firearms play in both law enforcement and in... (GunPolicy.org)
Access to Guns Helps Fuel Farmer Suicides - NZ Study
1 May 2017
New Zealand Farmer
A broken relationship, drink and a gun - these three factors are a "fatal combination" and account for a significant proportion of farmer suicides, especially among young men.
A gun was used by 40 per cent of the 185 farmers who took their lives between 2007-15, compared with 8 per cent in the general population.
The first study ever in New Zealand farm suicides shows that financial stress was a "negligible" factor, reported in fewer than 5 per cent of cases, nor were... (GunPolicy.org)
Accidental Shootings Leading Cause of Death Among NZ Hunters
13 March 2017
Newshub
New research has revealed hunters falling to their deaths is one of the leading causes of hunting fatalities, alongside firearms incidents.
It's just one finding in a first-of-its-kind analysis of hunting data aimed at identifying problem-areas in the sector.
A Hunters Tale, A deep dive into hunting incidents in New Zealand has been put together by the Mountain Safety Council, partnered with groups including the police, ACC, the Department of Conservation and... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Australia,New Zealand,Japan,Switzerland,France,Poland,Iraq
German Ammo Sales Up Tenfold, €4 Billion Arms Sales in 2016
25 October 2016
Mo4ch (US)
Germany's small arms ammunition sales have increased by 10 times in the first 6 months of 2016, while total arms sales have reached €4 billion over the same period and have set a new record, Deutsche-Presse Agentur (DPA) says, citing a government report.
The total value of the small arms ammo export contracts has risen from €27 million ($29.3 million) in the first half of 2015 to €283.8 million ($308 million) in the first six months of 2016, the reports says,... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand's Gun Owners Say Registration Won't Stop Crime
26 August 2016
Scoop (New Zealand)
Millions of Tax Payers Money Spent on Gun Registration Will Not Affect Criminals
The Council of Licenced Firearms owners are disappointed at the comments suggested in Parliament to enact registration of all firearms. COLFO's Chairman Paul Clark has previously advised the Law & Order Select Committee that registration of firearms will not stop criminals using them. "People that do not own firearms must be asking how can listing a firearm on a database stop criminal use?... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearm Expert Says New Zealand in Danger of Mass Shooting
24 August 2016
TVNZ (New Zealand)
Warnings of mass-shootings have been raised at a parliamentary inquiry about illegal guns following a spate of attacks on police, like the incident in Kawerau in March this year when four officers were wounded.
Waikato University professor Alexander Gillespie told the inquiry that 95 per cent of guns in New Zealand are untraceable.
"At the moment I have to register my car. I have to register my dog. But my neighbour doesn't have to register his firearm," says Dr... (GunPolicy.org)
Online New Zealand Gun Trader Wants Access to Licence Data
10 August 2016
New Zealand Herald
Trade Me wants automatic access to police records on gun owners to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands.
In an appearance before a committee at Parliament today, the company defended the sale of guns on its website after an MP suggested it stop selling weapons altogether.
A Parliamentary inquiry is looking at how to restrict the flow of firearms to criminals, gangs and unlicensed people.
It was launched in March after a series of high-profile shootings... (GunPolicy.org)
Review of New Zealand Gun Laws Likely to Lead to Changes
10 July 2016
Radio New Zealand
An internal review of how the police administer and monitor firearms is likely to lead to changes in the law, including allowing people to apply for a gun licence online.
The review was being carried out in parallel to the Parliamentary Select Committee inquiry into illegal gun possession, sparked by the shooting of four police officers in Kawerau and the seizure of a cache of illicit firearms in Auckland earlier this year.
Police national manager for police response... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Ireland,Norway,Iceland,New Zealand,United States
5 Countries Where Police Don't Carry Guns, and It Works [ES]
9 July 2016
El Dinamo (Chile)
[Translated summary: In Britain, Ireland, Norway, Iceland and New Zealand, officers don't carry guns when they are on patrol. The effectiveness of this strategy is reflected in the low crime rates of these countries. Some experts believe that, in the US, both citizens and police should be disarmed to make it safer.]
Tras los violentos hechos registrados en Estados Unidos durante esta semana, el Washington Post reveló los particulares casos que se viven en Gran... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Norway,Finland,Spain,Iceland,New Zealand,United Kingdom,Ireland
Handling Violence in Countries Where Police Don't Carry Guns
9 July 2016
Quartz (USA)
Another week, another police shooting in the United States. So far this year, 569 people have been killed by US police, according to The Guardian's count. Police brutality is a horrific normality and, in more ways than one, black men being shot by police has become the modern-day equivalent of lynching.
But, of course, it doesn't have to be this way. A police officer does not have to shoot to kill and, in several countries, a police officer does not even have to carry... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Police Lose Control of 230,000 Unregistered Guns
3 June 2016
Stuff (New Zealand)
A firearms safety specialist says the tragic death of a two-year-old girl in Auckland should never have happened.
Counties Manukau police have charged a 26-year-old man with unlawful possession of a pistol after he was taken into custody in relation to a death at a house in Favona Rd.
He will appear in court on Friday.
Police said the youngster died at the property in Mangere on Thursday morning.
The oft-quoted figures of around 230,000 licence holders and around... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Collector Loses 11 Machine Guns, Assault rifles to Thieves
19 May 2016
New Zealand Herald
A white stationwagon seen near a Dargaville property could hold the key to the theft of 11 automatic weapons - including submachine guns and assault rifles - stolen from the gun safe.
Dargaville Police are appealing for sightings of the white stationwagon that was seen near a house that was later discovered to have been burgled and a number of firearms stolen.
About 5.30pm on Tuesday, the occupants of a residential Dargaville property found they had been burgled.
As... (GunPolicy.org)
Gang Members Can Get Gun Licences in New Zealand
27 April 2016
New Zealand Herald
Being a gang member is not enough to stop someone getting a gun licence in New Zealand under current law.
The Herald today revealed how a patched Headhunter was able to legally buy $30,000 worth of high powered rifles between 2012 and 2015, before police revoked his firearms licence in January.
When police went to revoke the licence, the man had legally on-sold the weapons and they were unable to be retrieved.
The case has raised a number of issues with current... (GunPolicy.org)
Spate of Firearm Thefts in New Zealand
26 April 2016
New Zealand Herald
Firearms licence holders living in rural areas have been warned by police to review their security in the wake of a spate of firearms and ammunition thefts over the weekend.
The call comes after four shotguns were stolen from a residential Ruawai property between Sunday and Monday.
The firearms were brand new and were not stored securely.
Earlier in the weekend, three firearms and ammunition were stolen from a gun-safe in a garage at a residential Ruatangata West... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns in New Zealand '95% Untraceable' by Police, Says Expert
29 March 2016
New Zealand Herald
Parliament woke with a start when a police bust in Takanini recently netted a handgun and 14 high-powered military style rifles. This firepower is about double what terrorists used in the attack in Paris at the end of 2015 in which 130 people were killed.
The Takanini bust followed police reports that pistols and military-style semi-automatics now make up 14 per cent of the illegal firearms they retrieve. Parliament is also nervous about the recent spate of gun-related... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand: Police Have No System to Track Stolen Guns
11 March 2016
Stuff (New Zealand)
Thousands of guns stolen each year in New Zealand are ending up in the arms of gang members but police have no systems in place to track guns or what has been stolen.
Owner of Timaru's Gun City Wayne Golightly said police have told him that more than 100 firearms have been stolen in South Canterbury in the past year and about 2000 across New Zealand.
But police were unable to supply information under the Official Information Act about the number of burglaries... (GunPolicy.org)
Liberia,Sierra Leone,New Zealand,United Kingdom
Hospital-Based Research in Liberia on Armed Violence
19 February 2016
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War / IPPNW (USA)
Results of hospital-based research in Liberia on armed violence spearheaded by members of IPPNW was published recently by the Small Arms Survey in Switzerland. A main finding of The Value of Hospital Data - Understanding and Preventing Intentional Injury in Liberia (1) was that the Liberian Armed Violence Observatory (LAVO) is not receiving all the data it needs to most effectively inform intervention strategies on armed violence prevention.
"Our analysis of hospital... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War / IPPNW (USA)
United States,Australia,United Kingdom,New Zealand,Canada
How a Conservative-Led Australia Ended Mass Gun Killings
4 December 2015
New York Times
In the continuing debate over how to stop mass killings in the United States, Australia has become a familiar touchstone.
President Obama has cited the country's gun laws as a model for the United States, calling Australia a nation "like ours." On the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton has said the Australian approach is "worth considering." The National Rifle Association has dismissed the policies, contending that they "robbed Australians of their right to self-defense... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Police Say Firearms Not a Target for Burglars
13 June 2014
Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)
Police do not believe firearms were the primary target in an Auckland burglary in which 16 guns and 5000 shotgun shells were stolen.
The haul from the house in the eastern suburb of Buckland's Beach on Thursday included rifles, shotguns and semi-automatic guns.
Police said jewellery, silverware and alcohol were among other items taken.
Detective Senior Sergeant Darrell Harpur said they were treating it as a general burglary and did not believe the firearms, which... (GunPolicy.org)
Southern New Zealanders Own Twice as Many Guns as Northerners
4 June 2014
Stuff (New Zealand)
Mainlanders are twice as likely to own a firearm than North Islanders.
About 8 per cent of South Islanders are standard firearm licence holders, compared to just 4 per cent in the North Island, according to police data.
About one in 10 people have a firearm licence in the Tasman police district, an area that runs from Kaikoura, around the top of the South Island and down the West Coast to Haast. In contrast, Auckland City police district has just 6000 licence holders,... (GunPolicy.org)
Australia,New Zealand,Solomon Islands,Papua New Guinea
Why Australia is Gunning for the Illegal Trade in Weapons
2 June 2014
Australian (Sydney)
Canberra, A.C.T - Illegally traded conventional weapons claim more than half a million victims every year. These weapons kill, maim and disable, undermine economic prosperity and development, and keep millions of people, especially women and children, trapped in fear.
Australia will this week ratify the first legally binding instrument ever negotiated in the UN to establish common standards for the international transfer of conventional arms, the Arms Trade Treaty.
In... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Enforce Law Change, Register Pistol-grip Assault Rifles
28 May 2014
Timaru Herald (New Zealand) / Stuff (New Zealand)
Timaru police are urging firearm users to abide by a change in gun laws.
People with semi-automatic firearms fitted with free-standing pistol grips must contact police urgently to ensure they meet the new requirements.
The guns were reclassified as military style semi-automatic firearms in December last year.
Anyone with such a firearm has until June 11 to apply for an endorsement on their existing licence specific to the guns. Alternatively they can change the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Timaru Herald (New Zealand) / Stuff (New Zealand)
Rising Number of Accidents Prompts Calls for Gun Control in New Zealand
11 May 2014
New Zealand Herald
A string of hunting accidents is proof New Zealand's firearms laws need to be reviewed, a leading gun control advocate says.
In the past 10 years, 19 people have died and 57 have been injured by firearms.
A 44-year-old duck hunter suffered serious injuries after being shot in the elbow last Saturday. Another man, also 44, has been charged with careless use of a firearm causing injury and released on bail.
Kevin Clements, chairman of Peace and Conflict Studies at... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Man Arrested After Being Found Modifying Guns, Selling to Crime Gangs
29 April 2014
New Zealand Herald
An unemployed Auckland man spent $50,000 on firearms then sold them to gang members and other criminals.
Peter James Edwards purchased 74 rifles and shotguns in just 18 months, then "pimped" the weapons by cutting down the barrel or stock and adding pistol grips and silencers.
The pistol-sized firearms, which are easily carried and concealed, are highly prized in the criminal fraternity and the case has highlighted how easily guns can fall into the wrong... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Girl Shot with Airgun by Teen Brother, Police Warn of Risks
15 April 2014
Dominion Post (Wellington)
An eight-year-old girl accidentally shot by her brother is in a stable condition in Hawke's Bay Hospital.
The girl's 12-year-old brother shot her in the stomach with a low-powered slug gun near Wairoa around 4.45pm on Sunday.
The girl suffered minor injuries and was flown to the hospital by the Lowe Corporation rescue helicopter.
Wairoa police senior sergeant Tony Bates said the pellet lodged deep within the girl's abdomen.
He said the circumstances were still being... (GunPolicy.org)
Seven Guns Stolen from New Zealand Home, Second Recent Gun Theft
8 April 2014
Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)
Seven firearms were stolen from a Hamilton property during the weekend.
Police say the owner had his weapons hidden and locked up in a garage but left the keys in his unlocked car after going to bed.
The offenders used tools found inside the garage to force entry into the gun cabinet.
It is the second theft of firearms in the region in recent weeks. In March, eight weapons were stolen from a rural property at Opoutere on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Police say it is... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Reviews Customs Laws in Face of 3D Gun Threat
27 February 2014
Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)
Border control laws will be reviewed in the light of a warning that 3D printer technology could be used to bring weapons into the country.
A Customs New Zealand report says three-dimensional printers can be used to create weapons that get past traditional border controls.
Customs Minister Maurice Williamson says processes at the border need to change as criminals gain access to new technologies. "What if you could just download a file off the internet and press print... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,New Zealand,Europe
Guns Raise Risk of Suicide, Homicide, Shot Women: Global Meta-Analysis
21 January 2014
University of California, San Francisco, Media release
Someone with access to firearms is three times more likely to commit suicide and nearly twice as likely to be the victim of a homicide as someone who does not have access, according to a comprehensive review of the scientific literature conducted by researchers at UC San Francisco.
The meta-analysis, published online Jan. 20 in Annals of Internal Medicine, pools results from 15 investigations, slightly more than half of which were done after a 1996 federal law... (GunPolicy.org)
Europe,New Zealand,United States
Access to Guns Lifts Risk of Suicide, Homicide: Global Meta-Analysis
21 January 2014
Annals of Internal Medicine (Philadelphia)
Abstract
Background: Research suggests that access to firearms in the home increases the risk for violent death.
Purpose: To understand current estimates of the association between firearm availability and suicide or homicide.
Data Sources: PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science were searched without limitations and a gray-literature search was performed on 23 August 2013.
Study Selection: All study types that assessed... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Gun Lobby Rejects Registry as 'White Elephant' Despite Child Deaths
20 January 2014
Scoop.co.nz, Media release
The knee-jerk call by anti-firearm lobbyists to toughen firearm laws following the tragic murder-suicide in Dunedin is totally misplaced and ignores reality says the Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust.
Trust spokesman Laurie Collins of Westport said New Zealand's firearm laws where the fitness of firearms owners is registered has been widely praised as practical and realistic.
"A gun registry will not prevent one death or one crime. The tragedy underlines that the... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Man With History of Domestic Violence Kills Children, Self
16 January 2014
Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)
Dunedin's West Harbour community is in shock after two children were seemingly shot dead by a man who had protection orders against him.
Bradley and Ellen Livingstone, aged nine and six, died from gunshot wounds at their home in St Leonards on Wednesday night. A 51-year-old Milton prison worker then appears to have turned the gun on himself.
Police will not yet release his name until they finish contacting relatives overseas. However, they confirmed he is the... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Cyclist Found With Illegal Shotgun Down His Trousers
20 December 2013
New Zealand Herald
A cyclist, stopped for not wearing a helmet, was discovered to be hiding a sawn-off shotgun down his trousers, police say.
The 35-year-old man was riding through Fairview Downs in Hamilton in the early hours of this morning, when two police constables on patrol pulled him over for looking out of place and not wearing a helmet.
"When they were talking to him [they] noticed a shotgun cartridge fall to the ground as he emptied his pockets," Hamilton city area commander... (GunPolicy.org)
New Law in New Zealand Restricts Access to Imitation Guns
13 December 2013
New Zealand Herald
You can buy real-looking guns for just a fistful of dollars at a $2 shop.
The Herald did just that. The cheapest was $45 and looked like a real pistol. It doesn't fire bullets - but when cocked using the same action as a real automatic pistol, it will fire a small, plastic BB sphere.
When we took the gun to police, they explained it still had a deadly potential but instead of being potentially fatal for the target, it was the wielder of the weapon who faced the... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Endorse New Law on Military Firearms, 'Restricted' Air Guns
6 December 2013
Scoop (New Zealand), Media release
Police welcome new laws coming into effect next week that place import restrictions on some airguns and clarify the definition of military style semi-automatic firearms.
The Arms (Military Style Semi-automatic Firearms and Import Controls) Amendment Act was passed in 2012 and comes into effect on 11 December 2013.
It creates a new category of airgun – the restricted airgun. A restricted airgun is an airgun (with or without any of its attachments) that either:
- has... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Seize 'Alarming' Military-Style Weapons Cache
8 November 2013
New Zealand Herald
An "alarming" cache of high-powered firearms and ammunition have been seized from an Auckland lock-up.
Shotguns, military-style assault rifles, a silenced rifle, a handgun and thousands of rounds of ammunition were found by detectives at a storage compound in Onehunga yesterday as part of an on-going investigation into an associate of the Hells Angels.
A late model Holden ute was also confiscated under an asset seizure order and criminal charges are likely to be laid... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Officials Worried After More Than 30 Guns Stolen from Gun Store
16 October 2013
Radio New Zealand
There are fears the burglary of an Auckland gun store earlier this year could be linked to a similar crime in the city.
Three offenders broke into Wills Fishing and Firearms on Wairau Road on North Shore, taking 21 shotguns and 12 handguns about 10.15pm on 9 October.
Police say the theft was captured on CCTV, but the burglars were heavily disguised.
Detective Inspector Greg Cramer said they are looking at whether the incident is linked to a similar theft at Gun City... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Kindergarten Issues 'Gun Licences' in Attempt to Teach Safety
18 September 2013
Stuff (New Zealand)
At Stratford's Avon Kindergarten kids can pick up a "gun" and shoot a possum any time they want - if they have a licence.
Head teacher Lynsi Latham-Saunders has introduced the gun-use policy after some of the 3- to 5-year-olds began using sticks as guns and pointing them at each other.
"They were using guns for what they see guns used for on cartoons and television. Children weren't too keen on guns being pushed in their faces," she said.
Now, if any of the... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Police Find Illegally Converted Guns During Raids
6 August 2013
New Zealand Herald
Police have found several illegally converted guns during raids on some Waikato rural properties, despite a campaign to lower illegal gun ownership in the region.
District Firearms Officer, Richard Plas, said since the launch of the "Lock em or Lose em" campaign 10 firearms had been handed in to police by people who had inherited them but didn't have an appropriate licence or no longer wanted them.
"Items have included rifles, shotguns, pistols, an inert hand grenade... (GunPolicy.org)
Spate of Gun Thefts Reported in NZ, Police Warn Owners on Storage
25 July 2013
New Zealand Herald
Police are urging gun owners to be vigilant in locking up their weapons after a spate of firearm thefts in the Waikato.
District Firearms Officer Richard Plas said over the past three weeks three rural homes in the Eastern Waikato had been left unlocked while the owners were out and unsecured firearms stolen.
"The burglaries have occurred in the Paeroa, Karangahake and Whitianga areas and in each incident four firearms of various calibres have been taken with the most... (GunPolicy.org)
Boy Guilty of Manslaughter in Fiji After Shooting 6-Year-Old
17 July 2013
Stuff (New Zealand)
A Fiji court has found a 10-year-old boy guilty of the manslaughter of a 6-year-old New Zealand child killed in a shooting last year.
The 10-year-old's father has been ordered to pay F$2500 (NZ$1680) court costs and to ensure the good behaviour of the child for seven years until he becomes an adult.
Mohammed Khubeb Khan, 6, of Auckland, and a 14-year-old cousin, Mohammed Nabil Khan, were hit by a bullet as they were playing at a new house on the outskirts of Lautoka... (GunPolicy.org)
25 High-Powered Guns Stolen from New Zealand Gun Store
4 July 2013
Stuff (New Zealand)
High-powered firearms have been stolen from an Auckland shop.
Police are warning anyone who is offered a powerful weapon at a discount price to call them.
Twenty-five firearms were stolen during a burglary at a Mt Roskill gun shop shortly before 10pm yesterday.
They comprised four Rizzini 20-gauge shotguns, six 12-gauge shotguns, seven Tikka bolt-action rifles with silencers and scopes and eight 12-gauge Beretta semi-automatic shotguns, police said.
Investigators... (GunPolicy.org)
Guns Found After 'Drugs Ring' Broken in New Zealand
11 June 2013
Stuff (NZ) / Waikato Times (NZ)
Police say they have busted a drugs ring operating around Taumarunui.
Officers raided a house in Matiere, 30 kilometres west of the town, on Saturday, after an investigation into cannabis and methamphetamine production.
A 51-year-old man and a 43-year-old woman appeared in Taumarunui District Court yesterday facing several drug-related charges including possession of cannabis and cannabis oil for supply, possession of precursor substances, and possession of... (GunPolicy.org)
Palau,New Zealand,Samoa,Tuvalu,Australia
Tuvalu and Palau Sign Arms Trade Treaty
5 June 2013
Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)
Tuvalu and Palau have become the first countries in the Pacific to sign the UN small arms treaty.
The treaty, which opened for signatures in New York on Monday, puts rules in place that make countries consider human rights before any arms trade deals are made.
New Zealand and Australia have also signed it and Samoa will be doing so in September at the UN general assembly.
The Executive Director of Oxfam New Zealand, Barry Coates, says he hopes other Pacific countries... (GunPolicy.org)
New Blitz on Gun Security in Australia After Firearm Thefts
27 May 2013
Warrnambool Standard (Australia)
Thieves in the south-west are using stolen firearms as a commodity and trading them in Melbourne and interstate for cash and drugs.
In response to a rising incidence of firearm thefts police will target south-west gun owners to ensure their weapons are securely stored.
Police investigation and response manager for the south-west, Mark Canavan, said thieves were targeting homes and properties where firearms were known to be stored. A police check of licensed firearm... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Shop Asked to Stop Selling Restricted Airgun After Teen Arrest
24 May 2013
Marlborough Express (New Zealand)
Police have asked a Blenheim shop that sold a plastic gun to a Marlborough Boys' College student to stop selling the item after the teenager was arrested.
The 14-year-old boy was arrested and suspended from school on Tuesday after shooting a passing car and other students with the soft air pistol he bought at $2 Fantastic shop in Maxwell Rd.
Constable Dean Buckley, of Blenheim youth aid, said because compressed air fired a missile, it was legally classed as a... (GunPolicy.org)
8,800 Guns Seized in NSW in 10 Months as Australia Battles Crime
23 May 2013
Nine MSN (Australia)
Machine guns and military rifles were among 8,800 firearms seized in NSW over the past 10 months.
Police revealed the figure as they pleaded for more help taking illicit guns off the streets.
Senior officers in Sydney, scene of four gun crimes this week, launched the trans-Tasman Operation Unification on Thursday - a two-week initiative encouraging people to report illegal firearms.
They did so alongside David and Cathy Knight, whose truckie dad Bob was killed in... (GunPolicy.org)
Unlicensed NZ Soldier in Court After Being Found Drunk with Loaded Gun
17 May 2013
Stuff (New Zealand)
A soldier has admitted having a loaded rifle when he was drunk at home the day after his discharge from the army.
Christchurch District Court Judge Alistair Garland said it was "unforgivable" that 38-year-old Samuel George Ottley had the rifle lying on his bed underneath a sleeping bag, with bullets in the magazine.
"You are army-trained. You should know better than to have a firearm with any bullets in it at all in your home," the judge said when Ottley pleaded... (GunPolicy.org)
Survey Shows Half NZ Region's Gun Users Unlicensed, Training Offered
23 April 2013
Radio New Zealand
More than 1000 people have had a firearms safety lecture and test - as part of a programme mostly designed for Maori.
The two-year-old scheme called Whakatupato is run by the Mountain Safety Council in rural areas.
It was set up after a 2005 survey showed about half of the gun users in Te Urewera didn't have a firearms licence, which means they weren't being told about the potential dangers.
Mountain Safety Council manager Tracy Wakeford said elders are helping them... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Sport Shooter says New Laws Have Changed Pistol Competitions
27 February 2013
Daily Post (Rotorua)
Pistol shooting runs in the blood for Colin Bell, who worked as a gunsmith in Johannesburg.
He moved to Rotorua five years ago where he has been a standout representative for the Rotorua Pistol Club.
He is competing today in the biggest pistol shooting competition the country has seen - the International Practical Shooting Confederation Australasia 2013 Handgun Championship.
The four-day competition, which started yesterday, is in Rotorua for the first time with more... (GunPolicy.org)
Fijian in Court on Charges of Neglecting Gun Safety After Death
30 January 2013
Fiji Times
Pilot Mohammed Rizwan Khan has been refused bail by the Lautoka Magistrates Court for offences relating to the death of six-year old Mohammed Khubayb Salman Khan last weekend.
Appearing before Magistrate Sujeewa Nishanka, Mr Khan was charged with one count of failure to maintain arms in a safe and secure custody and one count of manslaughter by negligence or breach of duty.
While ruling on Mr Khan's bail application by his lawyer Vishal Pillay, Magistrate Nishanka... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Teen Dies in Airgun Shooting, Lobby Says No Law Change Needed
14 January 2013
Radio New Zealand
A post-mortem has revealed an 18-year-old killed in an airgun accident in Auckland was shot through the heart.
Shaun Townsley was fatally shot while he and a group of friends were drinking and firing air rifles and air pistols at cans at his home in the South Auckland suburb of Manurewa on Saturday evening.
Police say the shooting appeared to be accidental but an investigation is looking at whether charges relating to careless or dangerous use of a firearm should be... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Finland,Colombia,Mexico,Western Europe,Australia,Yemen,Canada,New Zealand,United States
On Guns and Gun Law, America an Outlier Among Developed Nations
20 December 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
How freely do guns flow in the United States compared with the world's other industrialized countries?
According to GunPolicy.org, run by Philip Alpers, a firearms analyst at The University of Sydney, the United States is unusual with what Alpers described as the "two pillars" of gun control: licensing gun owners and registering weapons.
"You are basically the only country in the developed world that doesn't license gun owners across the board and you are almost alone... (GunPolicy.org)
Expert Says NZ Gun Laws Not Tight Enough, Registry Needed
18 December 2012
3 News (New Zealand)
Despite New Zealand's reputation for tight gun regulation, one anti-gun lobbyist says we are still leaving ourselves exposed.
Professor Kevin Clements, director of the National Centre of Peace and Conflict Studies at Otago University, says current laws around gun registration are loose and leave room for abuse.
"The registered arms owners [might have] a large amount of weapons but we don't know how many, where they are, what sort they are and whether they might fall... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Support 'More Distinctive' Fake Guns After Toy Causes Seige
22 November 2012
Stuff (New Zealand)
One can kill while the other is a toy, but police are finding it increasingly difficult to tell the difference as fake firearms become more realistic.
Armed police raided a house in the Wellington suburb of Johnsonville on Tuesday after a member of the public reported seeing a gun being pointed through a window.
It turned out the gun was a toy given as a 10th birthday present. A man, 21, has been charged with possession of an imitation firearm.
Last year, film-makers... (GunPolicy.org)
Lack of Gun Registration Puts Police at Risk in New Zealand
12 November 2012
Herald (New Zealand), Editorial
Police can only guess the number of firearms - legal and illegal - in the country.
This country has been spared a criminal fraternity that wields firearms as a matter of course. Indeed, according to police statistics, guns are involved in just 1 per cent of violent crime. Yet any comfort to be derived from this statistic must be tempered by data released recently to the Herald under the Official Information Act. This showed 325 illegal firearms were seized in police... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Seizures Rising in NZ But Police Lack Data on Owners, Thefts
6 November 2012
New Zealand Herald
Hundreds of illegal firearms are being seized each year in police raids - but there is no record of how many guns are stolen to fuel the black market.
New figures show 325 firearms were seized in the financial year to June, the lowest number in the past five years and down from a peak of 1146 the previous year.
Most of the illegal firearms are stolen in residential burglaries or from collectors by organised criminal groups, police documents released under the Official... (GunPolicy.org)
8-Year-Old Samoan Boy Accidentally Shoots, Kills 5-Year-Old Cousin
29 October 2012
Stuff (New Zealand)
The Kiwi father of a 5-year-old boy shot dead by his 8-year-old cousin has flown to Samoa to be with the child's body.
James May was visiting the village of Samamea, 44km from the capital Apia, with his family when he, his cousin and uncle went into the woods to shoot pigeons and collect coconuts on Wednesday, Samoa's Weekend Observer reported.
James was shot in the face and killed.
The shooting happened when the uncle reportedly put the loaded gun down briefly while... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Scotland,England & Wales,New Zealand,United Kingdom
British Police Reject Idea of More Guns Despite Deaths
19 September 2012
BBC News, Opinion
The deaths of two female police constables have brought into focus the unarmed status of most British police. Why does Britain hold firm against issuing guns to officers on the beat?
It's the single most obvious feature that sets the British bobby apart from their counterparts overseas.
Tourists and visitors regularly express surprise at the absence of firearms from the waists of officers patrolling the streets.
But to most inhabitants of the UK - with the notable... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Police Admit Losing Three Handguns, Taser
15 September 2012
TVNZ (New Zealand)
Three police-issued Glock pistols, gun parts and a Taser have been lost or stolen - and police have no idea where any of them might be.
They have also damaged a further 33 weapons in the past five years, including two rifles that were run over, information obtained by The Dominion Post has revealed.
Superintendent Barry Taylor said that, though any weapon going missing was "not acceptable", the number lost was small.
Two of the Glocks "went missing while in transit... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Police Say Illegal Imported Guns Intended for Crime
8 September 2012
Stuff (New Zealand)
Thousands of illegal and restricted weapons, including machine guns, swords and "stun gun knuckle dusters", are being seized at the New Zealand border every year.
Figures given to The Dominion Post show 13,801 items classified as weapons were intercepted by the New Zealand Customs Service between January 2010 and July 2012 - an average of more than 14 a day.
The detailed breakdown of items, discovered at airports, seaports, mail centres and during raids, revealed... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Parents of Shot Teen Want Gun Law Change, Police Say No Need
13 August 2012
Dominion Post (Wellington)
Aaron Grimwood should have turned 21 tomorrow.
But instead of celebrating his birthday his parents will be campaigning for tighter gun laws, after he was shot dead by a close friend.
"We definitely don't want any other families to go through hell," his mother Ann-Maree Grimwood said.
In September 2010, after an inquest into Mr Grimwood's death, Wellington coroner Ian Smith recommended Parliament consider a review of the law with a view to establishing a range of... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Firearms Instructor On Trial After Fatal Deer Hunt
27 July 2012
3 News (New Zealand)
A former president of the Wellington Deerstalkers' Association has pleaded guilty to the fatal shooting of fellow hunter Cameron McDonald.
Christopher Dummer says he thought he was shooting at the red shoulder of a deer, when in fact he shot at the orange beanie Mr McDonald was wearing for safety.
As a mountain safety firearms instructor Dummer was approved by police to train and test new gun licence applicants.
Today he pleaded guilty to the careless use of a... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Boy's Gun Death Preventable, Better Safety Needed - Police
12 July 2012
3 News (New Zealand)
The 10-year-old boy shot dead on Tuesday in East Cape has been named as Patrick Brass.
Police say his death could have been prevented if the firearm involved had been locked away.
The boy died on Tuesday following an incident involving a firearm in Waikura Valley and it is believed he was with two teenagers.
The local school principal says the boy comes from a local shearing family and was at Te Kumi station.
The police are investigating to find out what... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Clarifies Definition of Military-Style Semi-automatic Weapons
23 May 2012
Office of the Minister of Police (New Zealand), Media release
Police Minister Anne Tolley says a Bill that clarifies the definition of military style semi-automatic firearms (MSSAs), and places controls on the importation of airguns that look like real pistols, MSSAs or restricted weapons has passed its second reading in Parliament.
The Arms (Military Style Semi-Automatic Firearms and Import Controls) Amendment Bill requires importers of such airguns to have a special permit from Police.
"Replica firearms can easily be mistaken... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Gun Dealer Offers Machine Guns, Anti-aircraft Gun for Sale
9 December 2011
New Zealand Herald / APNZ
A Christchurch arms dealer is trading high-calibre weapons more associated with freedom fighters in Libya than librarians in Linwood.
David Tipple of Gun City is selling for a bargain price of $1499 anti-aircraft cannons designed to shoot jet-fighters out of the sky.
Also available are German machineguns from the Battle of Stalingrad, MP5 9mm sub-machineguns starting from $14,999, as well as "very rare" 9mm UZI machineguns - down from $12,000 - Russian AK47s, .303... (GunPolicy.org)
'Don't Put Your Loaded Firearm in Your Pocket', Say New Zealand Police
17 October 2011
New Zealand Herald / APNZ
A Waikato man who shot himself with a pistol down his pants was lucky he didn't hit an artery and die, police say.
The 35-year-old shot himself while trying to hide a gun from police while returning from possum-hunting with his brother on Friday night.
The man did not have a licence for the .22 pistol he had in his pants and was attempting to get rid of it before police saw it, Sergeant Jim Corbett of Thames Strategic Traffic Unit said today.
Officers were called to... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand $1 Father's Day Gun Sale Tactic 'Sick and Sad'
1 September 2011
New Zealand Herald
A Father's Day promotion at an Auckland gun shop offering a "mystery firearm" for $1 to the first person to spot it on the racks has been labelled sick, sad and irresponsible.
But the man behind the bargain stands by his offer and says the dad who gets the gun will be "God blessed".
As part of its annual Father's Day sale Gun City in Mt Roskill is offering a special deal to one lucky punter on Saturday. If they spot the gun with the $1 price tag - it's theirs to buy,... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Almost Alone in Not Registering Most Guns, Should Change
31 August 2011
New Zealand Herald, Editorial
According to Crown prosecutor Scott McColgan, "getting illegal firearms off the street, under any circumstances, can only be good". He was, therefore, keen for a manufacturer of methamphetamine to get a reduced prison sentence in return for handing over 15 illegal rifles and guns. Judge Roy Wade agreed, and William James McFarlane had his sentence cut from 16 to 14 years when he appeared recently in the Auckland District Court.
But Mr McColgan was only half right.... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Worker Hid Machine Gun, Other Guns, Lied to Cops, No Conviction
30 July 2011
Dominion Post (Wellington)
Military memorabilia enthusiast Patrick Phipps says he is giving up gun collecting after a judge discharged him without conviction for having two semi and fully automatic rifles hidden in plastic mannequins.
In the Wellington District Court yesterday Phipps was ordered to donate $3000 to the Starship Foundation, which Phipps said he was happy to do before leaving court.
"I would support that charity anyway, and I am happy to do it," he said after the hearing.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
South Africa,Russia,China,South Korea,New Zealand,Indonesia,United States
New Zealand Police Promise Gun Ban for Rugby World Cup Bodyguards
14 July 2011
Stuff (New Zealand)
Foreign bodyguards will be banned from carrying weapons when protecting overseas dignitaries at this year's Rugby World Cup.
New Zealand police will assume full responsibility for the protection of visiting heads of state and VIPs at the tournament, which starts two days before the 10th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks.
Visiting security agents were permitted to carry weapons to protect foreign leaders during the 1999 Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Considers Import Ban on Military Weapon Airgun Lookalikes
23 June 2011
New Zealand Herald
A proposal banning imports of airguns that look like the military weapons will have little impact on the the number available or on criminals using them to intimidate people, parliament has been told.
The Arms (Military Style Semi-automatic Firearms And Import Controls) Amendment Bill would ban importing airguns that look like real pistols, military-style semi-automatics (MSSAs) or restricted weapons - unless a police permit is granted.
The bill, which is before the... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealers: NZ New Laws on Imports of Imitation Guns Will Be Ineffective
14 May 2011
3 News (New Zealand)
The owner of the country's biggest gun store says new rules aimed at restricting imports of airguns which replicate the real thing will do little to reduce crime.
An amendment to the Arms Act will mean people who import replica airguns must first obtain a permit from the commissioner of police.
David Tipple imports around 10,000 airguns every year and he now fears around 20 percent or 2,000 of those guns will require a permit before he can bring them in.
"Under the... (GunPolicy.org)
Charges Laid After 15yr-old New Zealand Girl Shot with Neighbour's Pistol
21 April 2011
New Zealand Press Association
A man has been charged with careless use of a firearm after a 15-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the abdomen in Rolleston, southwest of Christchurch.
The girl was inside a house when a pistol was discharged from an adjoining garage on Monday night.
"When it's [the pistol] discharged, it's [the bullet] gone through the garage into the house and ricocheted off a fridge," Detective Sergeant Ross Tarawhiti, of Southern CIB, told The Press.
The girl suffered... (GunPolicy.org)
Imitation Handguns, Assault Weapons Face New Zealand Import Curbs
15 April 2011
New Zealand Press Association
The Government is to tighten import controls on airguns that look like real pistols, military style semi-automatic firearms (MSSAs) or restricted weapons.
Police Minister Judith Collins said replicas were frequently used by criminals as they were easily mistaken for real firearms.
"Police estimate that there could be up to one incident a week where a member of the public presents an airgun that looks like a real pistol, MSSA, or restricted weapon requiring an armed... (GunPolicy.org)
New Police Boss Won't Allow Officers to Carry Guns in New Zealand
5 April 2011
TVNZ
The new Police Commissioner says he's not about to allow a gun on the hip of every New Zealand police officer.
Commissioner Peter Marshall says arming officers will not increase their safety.
Marshall, who started the job yesterday after taking over from Howard Broad who has retired, told ONE News that the officers he had spoken to did not want to carry guns.
"What they want is greater access to firearms and I agree with that," he said.
He said it's likely firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Kindergarten Kids Get Gun Licences in New Zealand Preschool Experiment
30 March 2011
Dominion Post (Wellington)
Four-year-old preschooler Lucy Coup has already earned her own gun licence.
Like the other children at her Auckland kindergarten, and in childcare centres around New Zealand, the youngster hangs the laminated licence from a string around her neck when she plays with her toy gun – but she must shoot at the target.
"We don't shoot people, because it might hurt them," Lucy says firmly.
Instead of banning gun play, many early education centres are adopting a policy... (GunPolicy.org)
Pre-schoolers Earning 'Firearm Licences' at New Zealand Kindergartens
30 March 2011
New Zealand Herald
Kids with imaginary guns are learning real safety lessons at kindergartens and early childcare centres around the country.
At some centres, children earn a "gun licence" once they learn the rules around handling firearms. Children make their own guns out of cardboard and paper and if they break the rules they lose their licence.
New Zealand Kindergartens chief executive Claire Wells said the idea - which she understood had been thought of by some centres "quite some... (GunPolicy.org)
Kindergarten Kids Issued 'Firearm' Licences in New Zealand Experiment
30 March 2011
TVNZ (Christchurch)
Children as young as four are making fake gun licences as part of kindy lessons on firearm safety.
Staff in day care centres say teaching them about gun safety at such an early age will lead to a greater sense of responsibility about firearms.
Children at one Wellington kindergarten told TV ONE's Close Up that they will lose their self-made gun licence if they break any rules.
One child said the licence rule was "not to shoot any people", while another said "you... (GunPolicy.org)
He Put Gun in My Mouth, Former Wife Tells Inquest Into 3 NZ Gun Deaths
16 February 2011
Dominion Post (Wellington)
Desmond Winnie murdered his wife and father-in-law then shot himself, a court has been told. And a former wife said he had once threatened her by putting a gun in her mouth.
The bodies of Mr Winnie, 65, Deborah Honeyfield, 51, and her father, Ian Ray Honeyfield, 86, were found in their home just outside Feilding, on August 23.
Detective Sergeant Gary Milligan, of Palmerston North, told an inquest into their deaths yesterday that a caregiver found Mr Winnie's body... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Israel,Germany,China,Canada,United States,New Zealand,Australia
World Media Reacts to Arizona Shooting: America's Gun Laws Are Nuts
11 January 2011
Wrap (California)
While the shootings in Tucson continue to inflame the debate over violent rhetoric in American politics, the international media's reaction to the tragedy is largely focused on alleged killer Jared Lee Loughner's weapon of choice: a gun.
In doing so, it's gotten to the debate over gun laws faster than a U.S. media hung up on the politics.
"This guy was a nutjob. What he did was sick and evil," a Tucson gunshop owner told Agence France-Presse in a piece entitled,... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Police Commissioner Promises 'No Routine Arming' of Officers
13 December 2010
TVNZ News
Police Commissioner Howard Broad says he will be ensuring his staff have greater access to firearms.
Broad has received a draft report on firearms access and availability and the report is expected to be finalised before Christmas.
"We will be taking the firearms out of the station and into cars," he said.
"It will still be left to the judgement of the individual officer to make an assessment of the risks and the nature of the threat as to when it is appropriate to... (GunPolicy.org)
Arming New Zealand Police Not the Answer to Criminal Violence - Greens
13 December 2010
Newstalk ZB Radio (New Zealand)
Green MP Keith Locke is against arming police despite the machete attack on Senior Constable Bruce Mellor near Taihape
The Green Party believes arming frontline police officers won't necessarily stop attacks on them.
The Police Minister is talking to the Police Commissioner about giving officers greater access to firearms following the weekend's machete attack on Senior Constable Bruce Mellor near Taihape.
Green MP Keith Locke says while the current policy could be... (GunPolicy.org)
Machete Cop Attack Reignites Debate Over Arming New Zealand Police
13 December 2010
New Zealand Herald
The Police Minister will meet the Police Commissioner today to discuss a report on whether to give officers easier access to firearms following the brutal machete attack on a policeman on Saturday morning.
Senior Constable Bruce Mellor remained in a serious but stable condition in Palmerston North Hospital this morning after suffering a fractured skull, a broken eye socket and jaw and broken front teeth, a "patchwork" of cuts to his face, skull, arms and hands and a... (GunPolicy.org)
Lone Cop Machete Attack Brings New Call to Arm New Zealand Police
12 December 2010
Associated Press
WELLINGTON - There were fresh calls on Sunday for New Zealand's unarmed police to carry guns after a lone constable was attacked with a machete, leaving slashes across his face, deep cuts and fractures to his head and arms and severing a finger.
Senior constable Bruce Mellor, 57, was attacked and left to die after he pulled over two teens driving a stolen car late Saturday during a routine stop, Detective Inspector Chris Bensemann said. A passing motorist spotted the... (GunPolicy.org)
I Am a Stupid Killer, a Loser Says NZ Hunter Who Mistook Woman for Deer
29 November 2010
New Zealand Herald
With tears in his eyes and a breaking voice, the hunter who shot dead Rosemary Ives made his first public statement last night.
"Idiot. Killer. Stupid. Loser. Call me what you like because I have called myself these things a million times and worse," Andrew Mears, 25, said.
Mears shot 25-year-old Ms Ives dead while she was brushing her teeth at a Turangi camp ground. Mears mistook a light on her head for the eyes of a deer.
Speaking directly into the camera and... (GunPolicy.org)
Loaded Handgun Found in Passenger's Bag on Tahiti-Auckland Flight
28 November 2010
New Zealand Herald
An international traveller packed a loaded handgun in his luggage and got it into Auckland Airport.
The Bauer .25-calibre gun was found after he had collected his luggage and put it through a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry x-ray machine as he prepared to leave the airport.
The passenger, Baptiste Julien Jeune, 69, had arrived on a flight from Tahiti, and had been cleared by New Zealand Customs officers.
The MAF officer who discovered it while x-raying the bag... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand,Thailand,China,North Korea,Iran
UN Security Council Reveals New Zealand Role in Global Gun Running
12 November 2010
Stuff (New Zealand)
New Zealand's role in allowing easy shell company creation has been revealed by a UN Security Council report as a key component in efforts by North Korea to break international arms trading sanctions.
A 75-page report on North Korea's sanctions busting efforts was released by the council in New York today after its publication was blocked for six months by China, a key ally for North Korea.
Written by a panel of experts it also reveals some new details about a... (GunPolicy.org)
Internet Trading Site May Ban 'Troublesome ' New Zealand Gun Auctions
7 November 2010
Sunday Star Times (New Zealand)
Popular online auction website Trade Me has signalled it may put a stop to its controversial practice of selling firearms.
In a newly published book, Trade Me – The Inside Story, Trade Me boss Mike O'Donnell defends the website's decision to allow the sale of firearms but says he can see the time coming when listings for firearms are no longer accepted.
"I see a time coming when we remove all firearms from Trade Me simply because they are more trouble than they are... (GunPolicy.org)
Careless Hunter Kills Camper: New Zealand Faces Gun Control Debate
26 October 2010
Manawatu Standard (New Zealand), Opinion
Gun control is once again under public scrutiny following the tragic shooting death of Lower Hutt teacher Rosemary Ives.
While the matter is before the courts, and a 25-year-old Hamilton faces a weapon charge next month, it appears her death was a disastrous case of mistaken identity.
Ms Ives, also 25, could not have been more of an innocent victim as she was brushing her teeth and standing next to her partner, Adam Hyndman, when she was hit on Friday night.
Some... (GunPolicy.org)
Woman Brushing Teeth at Campsite Shot, Killed by New Zealand Hunter
24 October 2010
New Zealand Herald
A young woman on a camping holiday has been shot in the head and killed while brushing her teeth by a hunter who thought she was an animal.
Her partner and others spent a desperate 90 minutes trying to keep her alive in a remote area of bush near Turangi.
The woman was Rosemary Margaret Ives, a 25-year-old secondary school teacher from Lower Hutt.
"People were around the girl's body and her partner was doing CPR on her," said Youthtown Trust Rescue Helicopter pilot... (GunPolicy.org)
Hunter Charged After Woman Shot Dead at New Zealand Camp Site
23 October 2010
New Zealand Press Association
A woman is dead and a hunter has been charged after a shooting near Turangi, south of Taupo last night.
Detective Senior Sergeant Todd Pearce said the body of the 25-year-old woman was found after police said ambulance officers were called to the Kaimanawa Ranges about 11pm yesterday.
He said the 25-year-old hunter from Hamilton was with a group of other hunters, and did not know the victim whose name would not be released until all her next-of-kin had been... (GunPolicy.org)
Papua New Guinea,New Zealand,Oceania,Australia
Lack of Legislation Leaves Pacific, NZ Wide Open to Illegal Arms Trading
20 October 2010
ABC News (Australia), Transcript
A new report on illegal arms trading has singled out New Zealand as an example of a country where weaknesses in company law allow the trade to proliferate.
The report, Brokers without Borders, by the international aid organisation Oxfam, draws on the example of a shipment of conventional weapons that was intercepted in Thailand en route from North Korea to Iran in December last year.
It transpired that the plane chartered to carry the illegal shipment had been leased... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand,Thailand,North Korea
North Korea-Bangkok Gun Runners Show NZ Vulnerable to Arms Trafficking
19 October 2010
New Zealand Herald
Gaps in New Zealand's company laws that leave the country vulnerable to illegal arms traders need to be addressed urgently, an Oxfam report says.
The report, Brokers without Borders, was released yesterday and highlighted the need for a global arms trade treaty.
It holds New Zealand up as an example of how illicit arms brokers continue to use international networks of companies to exploit regulatory gaps, when detailing an incident last December when a 35-tonne cache... (GunPolicy.org)
Thailand,North Korea,New Zealand,Iran
Oxfam Report Details New Zealand's Vulnerability in Global Gun Trade
19 October 2010
New Zealand Press Association
Gaps in New Zealand's company laws that leave the country vulnerable to illegal arms traders need to be addressed urgently, an Oxfam report says.
The report, Brokers without Borders, was released yesterday and highlighted the need for a global arms trade treaty.
It holds New Zealand up as an example of how illicit arms brokers continue to use international networks of companies to exploit regulatory gaps, when detailing an incident last December when a 35-tonne cache... (GunPolicy.org)
Powerful Airguns Now Only Legal for Licensed New Zealand Gun Owners
15 October 2010
New Zealand Press Association
Police have welcomed a law change which means people must have a firearms license to own the type of air rifle used to murder police undercover officer Sergeant Don Wilkinson.
The law change comes after the Government moved to reclassify pre-charged pneumatic (PCP) air rifles after they were used in the Auckland murders of Mr Wilkinson in 2008 and Keith Kahi in July this year.
Police national coordinator of firearms control, Inspector Joe Green said the law change... (GunPolicy.org)
Easier Gun Access Likely for New Zealand Police, While PM Prefers Taser
14 October 2010
Press (Christchurch)
Prime Minister John Key says he wants police to have more ready access to Tasers in a bid to head off a possible drift towards more officers being routinely armed with guns.
Police Minister Judith Collins yesterday said she supports equipping all police vehicles with lock boxes for firearms.
The shooting of Senior Constable Bruce Lamb and Constable Mitchel Alatalo during a routine callout in Christchurch in July high lighted the risks officers face from armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Unarmed Police 'Big Part' of Good Relations with Public in New Zealand
13 October 2010
Voxy (Wellington)
Faster and easier access by police to firearms looks likely to become a reality once a review of the issue by Police Commissioner Howard Broad is complete.
Mr Broad has been working on proposals to ensure officers have firearms close at hand if they need them and is due to report back to Police Minister Judith Collins before the end of the year.
Ms Collins said an option was likely to be to have lock-boxes in the front of patrol cars, and work was already being done... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Predict 'Someone Will Be Shot' Unless More NZ Airguns Controlled
11 October 2010
Dominion Post (Wellington)
Replica firearms not covered by a law change coming into effect this week could just as easily cost a life if they appear real, police warn after incidents in Napier.
Napier Detective Sergeant Emmet Lynch and his colleagues have dealt with three firearms in the past week that were either replicas or looked like more powerful weapons.
One, a rifle that fires slug pellets, was used in a random drive-by shooting in which a man was shot in the stomach while socialising... (GunPolicy.org)
Coroner Calls for Gun Law Changes After Shooting Death of NZ Boy
28 September 2010
New Zealand Herald
Parliament has been asked to consider changing firearms laws following an inquest into the death of a 17-year-old who was accidentally shot by his friend.
Aaron Phillip Grimwood died on November 15, 2008, after another 17-year-old, Raven Dallas Walters, shot him in the chest with a .22 calibre rifle from a distance of less than 10cm.
In a report released today, Wellington Coroner Ian Smith said the boys, who were long-time friends, had taken the rifle and a shotgun... (GunPolicy.org)
Deny Gun Licence by Blacklisting More Suspect People, Say NZ Shooters
11 September 2010
Radio New Zealand
A firearms lobby group is calling for a register to stop what it describes as people unfit to hold firearm licences obtaining them.
It follows the inquest into the deaths of Constable Len Snee and gunman Jan Molenaar during the Napier siege last year.
The Coroner's findings, released this month, fault the police for a lack of appropriate intelligence-gathering about Mr Molenaar.
A review of the Arms Act was also recommended and the police say they are working on... (GunPolicy.org)
Coroner's Report 'Could Lead to Sweeping Changes' to NZ Gun Laws
4 September 2010
Dominion Post (Wellington)
The violent deaths of Napier gunman Jan Molenaar and the police officer he shot, sparking a 50-hour siege, could lead to sweeping changes to gun laws.
Coroner David Crerar has recommended the Government review the Arms Act – including revisiting a suggested ban on military-style semi-automatics – as part of his findings into the deaths of Molenaar and Senior Constable Len Snee last May.
He levelled criticism at the community, saying it was "a matter of enduring... (GunPolicy.org)
Thailand,North Korea,Iran,New Zealand
NZ Woman Linked to North Korea-Iran Arms Trafficking, Guilty Plea Tipped
2 September 2010
New Zealand Press Association
A director of a New Zealand firm allegedly linked to arms traffickers reappeared in court today.
Lu Zhang, 28, is accused of 75 offences of making false statements in company registration forms after she declared her office address was her residence in 75 companies she registered.
She was charged after a plane loads of weapons, including rockets and grenades, from North Korea bound for Iran was seized in Bangkok last year.
The Russian-made aircraft was allegedly... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Green Party Wants More Gun Control, All Guns Registered
26 July 2010
NZCity
The Green Party wants the Government to go further with its changes to gun laws.
Police Minister Judith Collins has confirmed that people in possession of high powered pneumatic air guns will have to be licensed but she is rejecting calls for across the board firearm registration.
Ms Collins says most criminals caught with weapons do not hold firearms licenses so would be unlikely to register their weapons, but Green MP Keith Locke questions that reasoning.
"It's... (GunPolicy.org)
Soon Only Licensed Gun Owners to Own Lethal Airguns in New Zealand
26 July 2010
Press (Christchurch)
Criminals will be deprived of their "weapon of choice" by a proposed law change, Police Minister Judith Collins says.
Collins yesterday announced high-powered airguns would be reclassified so they could only be owned by those with a firearms licence.
The proposed change could be implemented by November through an amendment to the Arms Order.
However, Collins said there were no plans to try to register all firearms, something that had been an "expensive failure" in... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Minister Announces Crackdown on Lethal Airguns in New Zealand
25 July 2010
New Zealand Press Association
Owners of high-powered airguns will require a firearms licence within a matter of months, the Government announced today.
The move follows the deaths of undercover police officer Sergeant Don Wilkinson, who was shot and killed with an air rifle in 2008, and Auckland man Keith Kahi, who was shot and killed earlier this month.
The change would apply to pre-charged pneumatic air guns, but not older-style, spring-loaded airguns, guns powered by CO2 cartridges, BB guns or... (GunPolicy.org)
International Comparison Shows NZ Gun Homicide Rate Dropped Fastest
24 July 2010
New Zealand Herald
Gun killings in New Zealand have declined the most in an international comparison - even though this country has less strict licensing laws than Canada and Australia.
A forthcoming article in the peer-reviewed Journal of Interpersonal Violence, published by United States-based Sage Publications, found New Zealand had "the most pronounced decline in firearm homicide over the past two decades".
The study suggests unemployment rates and the availability of heroin are... (GunPolicy.org)
Police 'Don't Have a Clue' How Many Guns There Are in New Zealand
20 July 2010
Press (Christchurch)
Police do not know how many illegal firearms are circulating in New Zealand.
The issue of gun control has been raised after the shooting of two officers and a police dog in Christchurch last week.
In the past month, firearms have been used in a number of raids on Canterbury pubs, a PostShop and dairies.
In Canterbury, there are 31,760 firearm licence-holders, with about 225,000 nationally.
It is believed there are about 1.2 million firearms in New Zealand.
However,... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Moves to Restrict Airgun Model Used to Kill Police Officer
15 July 2010
New Zealand Press Association
Police Minister Judith Collins says the Government is looking seriously at legislation to restrict the sale of powerful air rifles which are being blamed for two slayings in Auckland.
Police Sergeant Don Wilkinson died after he was shot with an FX Monsoon airgun while on an undercover drugs operation in 2008.
And now it has been revealed that the same type of weapon was used in the slaying of Keith Kahi, 44, in the eastern Auckland suburb of Botany Downs nine days... (GunPolicy.org)
In Unarmed New Zealand, Hundreds of Police Cars Routinely Carry Guns
15 July 2010
New Zealand Herald
Hundreds of police cars carry gun safes, and central Auckland officers draw weapons from their vehicles nearly twice a week, Herald inquiries have found.
Commissioner Howard Broad is looking at giving police greater access to firearms.
In Christchurch on Tuesday, two officers were injured and a police dog was shot dead.
Constable Mitchel Alatalo was hit in the thigh and dog handler Bruce Lamb in the jaw. The dog, Gage, died at the scene.
The group were fired on as... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Again Considers Restricting High-Powered Air Rifle Sales
14 July 2010
New Zealand Herald
Police Minister Judith Collins says the Government is looking seriously at legislation to restrict the sale of high-powered air rifles which are being blamed for two recent slayings in Auckland.
Police Sergeant Don Wilkinson died after he was shot with a FX Monsoon air gun while on a undercover drugs operation in 2008.
And now it has been revealed the same type of weapon was used in the slaying of Keith Kahi, 44, in the eastern Auckland suburb of Botany Downs nine... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunman Got Licence Despite Concerns, Fired at NZ Police, Shot Dead
18 June 2010
New Zealand Herald
A Christchurch gunman was issued a gun licence - despite a referee's concerns - just two years before he turned his guns on police, wounding an officer and a neighbour.
A report from the Independent Police Complaints Authority released today found that Shayne Sime's own referee raised "some concerns" with police when he was interviewed before issuing Sime with a gun licence in 2007.
Sime was shot by police last year after he riddled a neighbour's house and car with... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Lobby Defends New Zealand Gun Laws in Wake of UK Mass Shooting
4 June 2010
New Zealand Press Association
A New Zealand gun lobby group is warning against knee-jerk reactions to firearms controls in the wake of the mass shooting in Britain yesterday.
Taxi driver Derrick Bird killed 12 people and injured 25 in a rampage through Cumbria before turning his gun on himself.
Council of Licensed Firearms Owners (CLFO) chairman Michael Dowling said today that while the tragic killings came as a shock, it was unclear why the country's strict new gun ownership laws did not... (GunPolicy.org)
Officers Will Die for Lack of Guns, Predicts New Zealand Police Union Boss
14 May 2010
New Zealand Press Association
Police officers and members of the public will die because official policies restrict police access to firearms, Police Association president Greg O'Connor predicts.
One year after policeman Len Snee was shot dead by Napier gunman Jan Molenaar, Mr O'Connor said more people would die because police would be unable to respond to an armed offender as firearms were not available.
In the latest issue of the association magazine Police News, he said assaults on police had... (GunPolicy.org)
Weapon Show 'Glamourises Guns,' Has No Place in His City, Says NZ Mayor
12 April 2010
New Zealand Herald
Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey is planning to run gunslingers out of the West.
Mr Harvey no longer wants Waitakere City to host the Auckland Arms Fair, which held its 26th annual show at the council-owned West Wave Recreation Centre in Henderson three weeks ago.
He said complaints about the show, rising violence and recent shootings in Nelson and Hokitika which left four people dead had led to his decision.
"There's growing unrest in this country about the escalation of... (GunPolicy.org)
Judge Tosses New Zealand Police Reclassification of Assault Weapons
3 March 2010
New Zealand Herald
A High Court decision has set back efforts by police to impose greater controls on a wider range of firearms.
The court has ruled against a move by police to reclassify many "sporting configuration" firearms as military-style semi-automatics (MSSAs).
Police spent $60,000 advertising the changes. Owners would have had to undergo more stringent vetting, register each affected weapon and have a more expensive gun safe.
But a High Court judgment released this week has... (GunPolicy.org)
Problematic Bushmaster Rifle Posed Safety Risk for NZ Police, Public
21 February 2010
New Zealand Herald
An internal police report warned of potential "public safety" dangers stemming from its Bushmaster rifle - a month after innocent teenager Halatau Naitoko was accidentally shot dead on an Auckland motorway.
Inquiries by the Herald on Sunday have also found that there has been no formal review of the training or operational use by police of the weapon since it was introduced in 2005.
Naitoko, 17, was killed by a police officer armed with a Bushmaster 13 months ago... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Threat Prompts NZ Police to Warn Farmers Against Armed Vigilantism
26 January 2010
New Zealand Press Association
A Whangarei firearms incident has prompted a warning from police that people should not take the law into their own hands.
A 60-year-old Whangarei man has been charged over allegedly pointing a firearm at a group of youths littering his lawn.
Sergeant Graeme Povey told the Northern Advocate five youths were walking along Riverside Drive last week when one of them threw a drink can on to the lawn of a house.
The man confronted the group and some responded by throwing... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Union Boss Blames 'Nostalgia' for Opposition to Armed Cops
25 January 2010
New Zealand Herald, Editorial
The Police Association did not welcome the result of a poll we published recently. It found a clear majority, 65 per cent, of 2296 sampled Herald readers did not want the police to routinely carry firearms. They were content with current practice that uses specially armed squads to deal with incidents involving guns. The association president, Greg O'Connor, said this "nostalgic" view was now unrealistic.
He was referring to the long-accepted view that police sidearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Iran,Kazakhstan,Thailand,New Zealand,North Korea
Complex International Web Entangles Weapon Cargo Seized in Thailand
22 January 2010
Associated Press
SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan - The trail of the plane seized in Thailand last month for reportedly smuggling North Korean weapons to Iran leads back to a small air freight company housed near an old Soviet airfield on the edge of the Kazakh steppe.
The aging Russian plane's odyssey took it through a web of companies, financiers and air cargo carriers with addresses stretching from New York through the Persian Gulf to New Zealand, an Associated Press investigation has... (GunPolicy.org)
Two-thirds Oppose New Zealand Police Routinely Carrying Guns - Poll
13 January 2010
New Zealand Herald
Almost two thirds of people do not want police carrying guns on general duties, saying it is enough to have the armed offenders squad.
In a Herald survey, 31 per cent of the 2296 respondents supported allowing all police to carry firearms at all times.
But 65 per cent believed only the armed offenders squad should carry guns, showing strong support for current police practice.
Only 1.2 per cent of those polled believed police should not be armed in any circumstances,... (GunPolicy.org)
45 'High-powered' Guns Seized by NZ Police, but 'Public Safety Not at Risk'
31 December 2009
New Zealand Press Association
Police say the public were not in any danger when a huge arsenal of weapons and ammunition was discovered in South Auckland.
About 45 high-powered rifles and shotguns were found at an Otahuhu property after police were called to a domestic incident about 9.30pm Wednesday.
Bags of live ammunition of compatible types and calibres were also found.
The firearms were correctly secured and public safety was not at risk, police say.
A 70-year-old who allegedly threatened... (GunPolicy.org)
Small New Zealand Ammo Maker Can Produce 60 Million Rounds a Year
30 November 2009
Defense News (USA), Web page
WELLINGTON — There is an antique aspect to New Zealand's tiny Ordnance Developments Ltd. (ODL), including machinery far older than those who operate it.
However, ODL's status in the world of small-arms ammunition makers belies its small size.
"We're probably in the top five in the world in terms of our capability, which is rather extensive," said John Quigley, ODL's marketing manager.
The company manufactures ammunition ranging from 5.56mm to 9mm cartridges, as... (GunPolicy.org)
Locals Fear Being Shot as Suburban Safari Park Opens in New Zealand
25 October 2009
Sunday Star Times (New Zealand)
Drive 10 minutes over the hill from Upper Hutt and you emerge in Whitemans Valley, a pleasant little settlement of lifestyle blocks and farms, with pine forests dotted over the surrounding hills.
It's an idyllic setting, but all is not well in paradise, as evidenced by the home-made billboard at one gate: "Real men 'hunt' fenced deer — yeah right". The subject of signwriter Andrew Walker's sarcasm is a safari park on his neighbour's property, approved by the Upper... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owner Shot, Killed His Friend in Domestic Argument After Drinking
13 October 2009
New Zealand Herald
As a friend barged into Alan Gundry's home and threatened his partner and dinner guests, the pig-hunter grabbed his rifle and said he'd had enough, a murder trial was told yesterday.
Moments later Orewa man Gene Patrick Atkins was dead, shot in the abdomen and liver.
The Crown alleges Gundry, 30, murdered Mr Atkins, 28, on January 12 at Gundry's Rodney home. The shooting happened after Mr Atkins fought with a guest as he tried to get to his partner, Sarah Jane Dean,... (GunPolicy.org)
Armed Police Out in Force as Fake Guns Cause Chaos in New Zealand
20 September 2009
New Zealand Herald
Armed officers and dog handlers swarmed over two Auckland suburbs yesterday as fake firearms triggered two huge police operations.
An armed offenders unit and dog handlers were among up to 20 officers sent to the first callout, which occurred in Glen Innes about 7am.
Inspector Earle McIntosh said police received reports that a man had got into a fight with fellow guests at an all-night party and threatened them with a shotgun.
The suspect then travelled to a house on... (GunPolicy.org)
Only 30 per cent of Routinely Unarmed NZ Police to Get Handgun Training
9 September 2009
Dominion Post (Wellington)
Two out of five city police officers will be excluded from firearms training in the latest move to cut costs, despite armed police being called upon more than ever.
The Police Association says the money-saving plans that will result in some frontline officers being unable to use a firearm will put staff and public lives at risk as police deal with increasing violence.
But police management say the proposals will mean those staff who respond to armed incidents will be... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Remain Unarmed, Fewer to Get Firearm Training in New Zealand
8 September 2009
New Zealand Herald / NZPA
Front line police say officers who lack firearms training may be putting their lives at risk.
The Police Association said the Auckland City police district was now exempting strategic traffic unit (STU) staff and other front line staff in the central business district from firearms training.
The association said those staff were the most likely to be issued with firearms for deployment on armed cordons.
"The Police Association is strongly against any reduction in... (GunPolicy.org)
Acquaintance Dispute Turns Fatal in New Zealand Timber Town Shooting
1 September 2009
New Zealand Herald
One of Janine West's last memories of partner Layden Rameka is of him trying to protect his family moments before he was shot dead.
Mr Rameka, 35, was killed on Sunday afternoon in the Hawkes Bay village of Waikoau — a sleepy former forestry settlement 40km northwest of Napier. His alleged killer — Wilson Apatu, 39 — is in custody.
Ms West, 32, was in the sitting room with two of her sons — Zepplin, 8, and Taylor, 1 — and a cousin when the drama... (GunPolicy.org)
Licence Revoked, NZ Gun Owner Vows to 'Go Out in Hail of Bullets,' Kills 1
31 August 2009
New Zealand Herald / NZPA
The family of the man accused of the fatal shooting in northern Hawkes Bay has apologised for what happened.
Wilson Neil Apatu appeared in court today charged with the murder of Layden Rameka and the attempted murder of eight-year-old son Zepplen-Solly, in the shooting near Tutira yesterday afternoon.
The 39-year-old is also charged with aggravated robbery. Apatu entered no plea to the charges and will reappear in court in three weeks.
After the court appearance, an... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Gun Collector Sold 121 Handguns, Machine Guns to NZ Gangs
29 August 2009
New Zealand Herald
The last act in laying bare John Noel Mabey's big lie occurred on Tuesday but the danger to the public will go on for years.
After two years, Mabey, 45, finally admitted in the Thames District Court that the burglary in which he claimed his entire collection of 121 restricted firearms (pistols, machine guns and military-style semi-automatics) was stolen, was an elaborate fake.
Not that anyone had believed him for long. The suspicion of the police officer who... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owners Up In Arms Over NZ Police Assault Rifle Licence Changes
17 August 2009
New Zealand Press Association
Gun owners remain angry at police changes to licensing rules over military-style semi-automatic weapons, with some taking official steps to try to stop them.
One has applied for a judicial review of the police decision, while a group has complained to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA).
Gun owners have been told that if they own a semi-automatic firearm with a "military pattern, free-standing pistol grip", it is now considered a military-style... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owners Riled by NZ Police Campaign to Register Military-style Rifles
15 August 2009
Timaru Herald
A 'Check Your Stock' campaign by police is riling licensed firearm owners, who say police hierarchy are "wrongfully" trying to do the job of a High Court judge.
A new group called the National Shooters Association has complained to the Independent Police Complaints Authority since the $60,000 campaign was launched by the New Zealand Police.
Gun owners have been told that if they own a semi-automatic firearm with a 'military pattern, free-standing pistol grip', it is... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Makers Alter Assault Weapons to Avoid Law, NZ Police Draw Line
12 August 2009
TV3 News (Auckland)
Thousands of licensed gun owners may soon have to buy an expensive new safe to store their weapons, or get rid of them.
Police have broadened the definition of 'military style semi-automatic weapons', but the gun lobby says police have acted simply because they do not like the look of the new style of weapons.
With more of the military style semi-automatics coming on to the market, police have decided to make it harder for people to own them.
"For some time now,... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Alone with United States in Rejecting Firearm Registration
3 August 2009
Rotorua Daily Post (New Zealand)
More than 6400 people in Rotorua hold a licence to own firearms.
Latest figures, released to The Daily Post, show that by May this year, 6466 people — or about one in every ten locals in the Rotorua area — hold a firearms licence.
Officially, this is an increase of 1520 from 2007.
But Rotorua District Arms Officer Mike Keefe said he has not issued that many new licences in that 17-month period and there were a number of reasons for the increase.
Mr Keefe said... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensing Owners Not Enough: New Zealand Should Also Register Guns
7 July 2009
Marlborough Express (New Zealand), Editorial
The cache of weapons found at the home of gunman Jan Molenaar and other elements of the Napier seige raise questions about New Zealanders and firearms.
The man who killed a policeman and wounded two others and a civilian had 18 fully loaded guns. Police found more than 100 spent cartridges, 2000 bullets and home made explosive devices.
His firearm licence had expired in 2002 and three of the guns had been stolen. Two of the self loading rifles had belonged to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Registration of All Guns Needed, Says Senior New Zealand Arms Officer
4 July 2009
Bay of Plenty Times (Tauranga)
The district arms officer says without firearms being registered in New Zealand there is no real control over them.
Paul McLennan, who has been in the role 27 years, said registration of individual firearms — scrapped in New Zealand in 1983 — once kept holders of firearm licences accountable and responsible for their weapons. It also helped identify stolen firearms.
Today, firearms are not registered and there is no restriction on how many firearms a licence... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Gambles With Liberal Gun Laws, 10-year Firearm Licences
1 July 2009
New Zealand Herald
A wheelchair-bound gunman's fitness to hold a firearms licence is being investigated, but his family say he was a good person and loving father who overcame adversity.
Shayne Sime, 42, was shot dead by police on Sunday after firing more than 100 rounds from his Christchurch home, wounding a policeman and a neighbour and hitting buildings including a preschool in surrounding streets.
Yesterday his family said: "We do wish to recognise and apologise to other people who... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Club Mates: Dead Shooter 'Just Like Anyone Else - He Liked Guns'
30 June 2009
New Zealand Herald
A gun club that helped hone the capabilities of a disabled gunman shot dead by police says it could not have foreseen such a tragic event.
Wheelchair-bound Shayne Richard Sime, 42, was killed by members of the armed offenders squad at his Christchurch home on Sunday night after firing more than 100 rounds, wounding an AOS member and a neighbour, and damaging homes in the area that had to be evacuated.
The injured AOS member has had surgery to remove shotgun pellets... (GunPolicy.org)
Paraplegic Licensed Gun Owner Dies in New Zealand Police Shoot-out
30 June 2009
New Zealand Press Association
Police are to investigate the circumstances in which paraplegic gunman Shayne Sime, killed in a shoot-out with police in Christchurch last night, obtained his firearms licence.
Detective Superintendent Brett Kane said Mr Sime had been licensed since 2006 to own sporting shotguns and rifles.
He had a criminal history but his last conviction was in 1990 and most of his convictions were for "alcohol-related offending", Mr Kane told TV One's Close Up last night.
He... (GunPolicy.org)
Dead New Zealand Gunman Had Firearm Licence, Despite History
29 June 2009
New Zealand Herald / NZPA
The 42-year-old paraplegic man killed during a shoot-out with police in the Christchurch suburb of Burnside was a licensed firearms holder.
Shayne Sime's body was removed from the scene this afternoon but police caution their investigation is likely to be lengthy.
A post mortem on Mr Sime will start this evening and continue into tomorrow.
Detective Superintendent Brett Kane said that Mr Sime had been a licensed firearms holder since 2006, which gave him a licence to... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,United Nations,Australia,New Zealand,Fiji,Solomon Islands,Papua New Guinea
United Nations Gun Chief Says Pacific Has Illicit Small Arms Problem
25 June 2009
ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave), Audio
The United Nations is working to halt the daily toll of one-thousand people around the world killed by small arms. The job of halting the toll taken by small illegal weapons has now been placed in the hands of United Nations Ambassador, Pablo Macedo. Ambassador Macedo is Chair Designate for next year's United Nations Biennial Meeting of States on Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Speaker: United Nations Ambassador, Pablo Macedo
Windows media (audio... (GunPolicy.org)
Better Control of Internet Gun Sales 'Good Place to Start' for New Zealand
16 May 2009
Otago Daily Times (New Zealand), Editorial
Gun laws in New Zealand have for decades been a moving target — and an armour-plated one at that.
The protection comes both from the complexity of the law, and associated issues of cultural and social import, but also through the inability of our politicians to act decisively on the matter.
Resolve in this respect has been weakened by there being no consistent mandate to move radically in any particular direction.
But in the discussions of gun law and control... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Checks Strict in Taranaki, Shooters Unlikely to 'Fall Through Cracks'
15 May 2009
Taranaki Daily News
Tough licensing regulations make getting your hands on a military-style semi-automatic rifle incredibly difficult unless you are a criminal.
In which case, says New Plymouth gun dealer and owner of Ski and Sports Centre Jeff Horn, you live outside the law and are free to acquire one without going through the normal strict licensing procedures.
Jan Molenaar shot and killed Senior Constable Len Snee and wounded two other officers and a civilian when police conducted a... (GunPolicy.org)
Despite Shootings, Most Oppose Arming New Zealand Police Force
15 May 2009
Dominion Post (Wellington)
Three police officers have been killed in less than a year. But, unlike their overseas counterparts, our police do not routinely carry guns. Are they safe enough? Is it time to arm them?
What more could we have done to protect our police, asked Police Commissioner Howard Broad as he stood before the mourners at Napier's Municipal Theatre this week. It was, he said, the natural question to ask.
He was there to deliver a eulogy for slain policeman Len Snee, and he... (GunPolicy.org)
Rethink on New Zealand Gun Licensing, Registration Long Overdue
15 May 2009
New Zealand Herald, Editorial
Changes to gun laws are usually the product of tragedy. The last significant amendment to the law occurred after David Gray killed 13 people at Aramoana in 1990, and Australia's legislation was spurred by the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania in which 35 died. Now, the Napier siege sparked by Jan Molenaar's shooting of Senior Constable Len Snee should be the catalyst for further change. Two disturbing facts have emerged. The first is that Molenaar did not possess a... (GunPolicy.org)
Two Governments Shelved NZ Firearm Registry Due to Pro-gun Lobbying
15 May 2009
Dominion Post (Wellington)
An independent gun registry was in the process of being set up a decade ago, but it was quietly shelved after intensive lobbying by pro-gun groups.
The registry was a key recommendation of the Thorp Report, which stemmed from a year-long review of gun laws by retired High Court justice Sir Thomas Thorp in 1996.
The report also recommended the government buy back military-style semi-automatics from owners followed by an outright ban of such weapons.
It was... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police, Gun Dealer Dismiss Gun Control, Urge Talk with Gun Owners
13 May 2009
Timaru Herald (New Zealand) / NZPA
South Canterbury police and licensed Timaru arms dealers are advising people not to jump to conclusions over firearms laws after Napier gunman Jan Molenaar's 50-hour siege.
The arsenal of weapons found at Molenaar's house last week had sparked concerns about firearms laws and unlicensed owners.
Gun safety advocate Philip Alpers has said the police have "no idea" how many guns are in the hands of unlicensed owners and described the incident as a "perfect illustration... (GunPolicy.org)
Heeding NZ Gun Law Report Could Have Avoided Shooting of 3 Police?
13 May 2009
Dominion Post (Wellington)
The author of a major gun law review is frustrated his recommendations, which may have prevented Jan Molenaar's deadly shooting spree, are gathering dust 12 years after being written.
Sir Thomas Thorp was appointed by the National government in 1996 to review firearm ownership in the wake of the Aramoana massacre, and similar tragedies in Australia and Scotland.
His recommendations included a government buyback and banning military-style semi-automatic weapons like... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand's Licensing-only Gun Control System a 'Dismal Failure'
13 May 2009
Dominion Post (Wellington)
In the wake of the Aramoana and Port Arthur massacres, retired High Court judge Sir Thomas Thorp was commissioned to review New Zealand's gun laws. The review took a year and cost $1 million.
It recommended sweeping changes, including the registration of all firearms, the creation of an independent firearms registry and an eminently sensible ban on military-style semi-automatic rifles. As The Evening Post observed at the time, "if a deer can't be killed with seven... (GunPolicy.org)
Time to Tighten Up Gun Control, Register Firearms in New Zealand
13 May 2009
Nelson Mail (New Zealand), Editorial
There are many questions raised by the Napier siege and some might never be properly answered.
However, setting aside the possible reasons why Jan Molenaar lapsed into a murderous rage and why the danger signs weren't noticed or acted on, the fact that he managed to accumulate such a weapons collection without a licence to do so must give pause to even the most ardent members of the pro-firearms lobby.
He didn't just have a cut-down rifle or or two.
Among the... (GunPolicy.org)
PM Has No Plans to Take 'Negative Step,' Arm New Zealand Police
13 May 2009
New Zealand Herald / NZPA
A fast roll-out of Taser stun guns for police is expected in the upcoming budget, but there are no plans to fully arm the force, Prime Minister John Key said after slain policeman Len Snee's funeral in Napier today.
Mr Key attended the funeral of Mr Snee who was gunned down by Jan Molenaar during a routine cannabis operation at Molenaar's Chaucer Road home on Napier Hill last Thursday.
The large crowd who gathered at the funeral showed the support police had from the... (GunPolicy.org)
Questions Remain on 50,000 Non-complying NZ Gun Owners, Say Police
12 May 2009
New Zealand Herald
Thousands of firearms remain potentially unaccounted for despite a police campaign for lifetime gun licence owners to renew or hand weapons in.
Police national manager operations Tony McLeod said nearly 50,000 people had not responded by the end of a campaign targeting lifetime gun licence holders to renew or surrender their weapons in 2002.
The Government scrapped the lifetime licences in 1992 for 10-year licences after David Gray killed 13 people in Aramoana in... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Have 'Lost Control' of Guns in New Zealand, Registration Needed
12 May 2009
TV3 News / NZPA
Police have "no idea" how many guns are in the hands of unlicensed owners, an expert on gun safety says.
The arsenal of weapons found at Napier gunman Jan Molenaar's house following a 50-hour siege last week sparked concerns about firearms laws in New Zealand.
Molenaar shot and killed Senior Constable Len Snee and wounded two other officers and a civilian when police conducted a drug search at his home last Thursday.
Gun safety advocate Philip Alpers told the New... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Have Lost Track of Lapsed Gun Owners and Their Weapons
12 May 2009
ABC News (Australia)
ASHLEY HALL: Police in New Zealand admit they have no idea how many gun owners with lapsed licenses there are in the country who still have their weapons.
It's been revealed that the gunman who shot dead one policeman and wounded two officers and a neighbour last week in Napier had 18 weapons inside his house and a massive stockpile of ammunition, and the former soldier also didn't have a current firearms license.
New Zealand correspondent Kerri Ritchie... (GunPolicy.org)
After 30 Years of Untracked Gun Sales, New Zealand Loses Control
11 May 2009
TV3 News (New Zealand)
The Prime Minister has hinted that gun legislation may be subject to future review following the Napier siege.
Gun advocates say changes to gun laws are unnecessary, while gun control lobbyists say New Zealand is on a par with the United States.
Almost 250,000 New Zealanders have a licence to own firearms, the vast majority of them sportsmen. Many fear another crackdown following the outrage in Napier.
"There is a fear of a knee-jerk reaction, we've had it before,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Too Late to Find Unregistered Guns in New Zealand, Says MP, Ex-Cop
11 May 2009
New Zealand Herald / NZPA
There are more than a million guns in New Zealand and it is too late to try to find all the unregistered weapons, an MP said yesterday.
Chester Borrows, MP for Wanganui and a former police officer, said that for many years shotguns did not have to be registered.
"You can do an operation in a small town and locate several sawn off shotguns or firearms in the period of a week or two, and find that none of them are registered," he said on TV One's Q&A programme.
Asked... (GunPolicy.org)
Knee-Jerk Calls to Arm New Zealand Police 'Illogical and Impractical'
10 May 2009
New Zealand Herald, Editorial
Even as gunman Jan Molenaar continued to fire indiscriminately — and the body of officer Len Snee lay helpless — two common and disturbing threads of the New Zealand personality fabric were emerging.
The Knee-Jerk and Know-All are characters who run roughshod over Common Sense. They trawl internet forums and radio talkback shows — alleged "first-time callers" whose arguments are cliched and ill-judged.
Within 12 hours of Molenaar's mad shooting outbreak,... (GunPolicy.org)
Most New Zealand Crime Guns Stolen from Licensed Owners, Say Police
9 May 2009
Press (Christchurch)
Consideration of stricter gun laws following the death of a police officer in Napier would be premature, Police Minister Judith Collins says.
There is one licensed firearm for every four people in New Zealand, but Collins said it was too soon to pin the blame for the death of Senior Constable Len Snee on gun control.
"We need to wait for the situation to be resolved before assessing the facts on this tragic event," she said.
"At the end of this, we want to see... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Cop Killer 'Total Rambo, Gun Nut,' Reported Dead After 2-day Seige
8 May 2009
Deutsche Presse-Agentur / AAP
New Zealand's TV3 channel reported it had unconfirmed reports that the gunman suspected of killing a police officer a day earlier had committed suicide.
It said ambulances had been seen going to the house where he had been holed up for two days, in the North island city of Napier.
The man was named earlier as Jan Molenaar, 51, an ex-army reservist described by friends as a "total Rambo" and a "gun nut."
Asked by Television New Zealand to confirm his death, Police... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Man Kills Police Officer, Wounds 3 with 'Automatic Rifle'
8 May 2009
Associated Press
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand police opened fire from armored personnel carriers Friday so they could retrieve the body of a colleague killed outside a house by a gunman who has held authorities at bay for more than 30 hours.
The siege closed down a section of the city of Napier for most of Thursday and all of Friday, with no immediate end in sight.
Armed police have surrounded the house where former army reservist Jan Molenaar, 51, fired a fusillade of... (GunPolicy.org)
Double Murderer's Belief in 'Gun Rights' Keeps Him in New Zealand Jail
3 April 2009
New Zealand Herald
Double-murderer John Barlow has lost a chance of parole because of his "manipulative" personality and insistence on his right to own guns.
The Parole Board refused to release Barlow after a psychological assessment described the 63-year-old as a controlling figure.
The board said he also had a "completely inappropriate attitude to guns".
But Barlow's wife Angela believes the decision is political and that her husband has unjustly been denied release because of a... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Gun Dealer Sold $2100 'Elite' Legal Airgun to Accused Cop Killers
18 March 2009
New Zealand Herald
Undercover officer Sgt Don Wilkinson said he was "running, running" after a police lookout told him to get away from the place where he and a colleague had been planting a tracking device, a court heard today.
Sgt Wilkinson was killed and his colleague shot three times while planting the device on a car in South Auckland on September 11 last year.
Iain Lindsay Clegg, 35 and John Ward Skinner, 37 have been jointly accused of Mr Wilkinson's murder and the attempted... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian Experience Makes Case for Gun Law Reform in New Zealand
1 March 2009
Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand; Vol. 15 No. 2, p. 24
The gun death rates in New Zealand from suicide and homicide are considerably higher than in Australia. In 2005, these gun death rates per 100,000 people were .91 in Australia (1,2,3) and 1.3 in New Zealand. (4) Are the higher death rates in New Zealand a result of your country's relatively relaxed taws in relation to gun ownership? Apart from exceptions such as pistols, military-style semi automatic firearms and restricted weapons, New Zealand legislation does not... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Kai Tiaki: Nursing New Zealand; Vol. 15 No. 2, p. 24
Judge Lets 'Dumb,' Drinking NZ Gun Owner with Shotgun Keep Licence
18 February 2009
New Zealand Herald / NZPA
A 20-year-old with a passion for firearms found himself fixed firmly in the sights of the law today.
Mt Maunganui plumber Zane Alexander Baird pleaded guilty in Tauranga District Court to unlawfully possessing a firearm and breaching the local liquor ban.
He stood to lose his firearm's licence and faced a maximum penalty of either four years in jail or a $5000 fine.
Born and raised on a farm, hunting and shooting were an intrinsic part of Baird's life, Judge Thomas... (GunPolicy.org)
New Zealand Police Hunt Down Owners of Expired Firearm Licences
16 February 2009
New Zealand Press Association
Owners of firearms could have their weapons seized, ordered to pay a fine or jailed if they let their firearms licence expire, police warn.
A team of police staff based at Palmerston North are tracking owners of expired licences to interview them about where their weapons were.
"There's no place to hide as the team uses every research technique available to them to track down licence holders including Facebook, internet phone books, international phone directories,... (GunPolicy.org)
Innocent Teenager Killed by Stray Police Bullet in New Zealand Shootout
24 January 2009
3 News (New Zealand)
It is a black day for New Zealand's police force. They have admitted this afternoon that the Armed Offenders Squad (AOS) killed an innocent teenage father in yesterday's motorway shootout.
Seventeen-year-old Halatau Naitoko, known as Tau, was shot in the chest as police attempted to stop a gun-toting offender who had just led them on a high-speed chase around Auckland.
A post-mortem on his body revealed the police had made a fatal mistake.
"The ballistics expert has... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Collector Jailed for Selling 30 Handguns, Machine Guns to Criminals
18 December 2008
New Zealand Herald
A gun collector who sold restricted firearms on the black market has placed the community at "grave risk" and created the potential for "long-term tragic consequences", a judge says.
Coromandel collector John Noel Mabey was yesterday sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of selling pistols, military-style semi-automatic firearms, and restricted weapons to unlicensed people.
The 30 guns Mabey admitted selling included Browning and Glock... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Gun Collector Jailed for Selling 30 Firearms to NZ Criminals
17 December 2008
TVNZ One News / NZPA
A Coromandel man who illegally sold off his gun collection has been jailed for 21 months.
In Hamilton District Court, Judge Phillip Connell said the actions of John Mabey had long reaching implications for public safety and posed a grave risk to the community, One News reported.
Mabey was jailed after he sold his gun collection, including military-style weapons, to criminals.
Police have found some of the firearms in the hands of dangerous offenders.
The judge said... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Collector 'Lost' 121 Guns, Armed NZ Gangs for Years to Come
6 December 2008
New Zealand Herald
Guns from a missing Coromandel collection have fallen into the wrong hands and created a black market legacy that will last for decades, say police and a gun control advocate.
One of the guns among Hot Water Beach collector John Mabey's missing pistols, submachine guns and semi-automatic rifles has been identified as the weapon used in a fatal shooting.
Mabey's guns disappeared in July last year, and police say eight of the 10 that have been recovered were found in... (GunPolicy.org)
Armed New Zealand Cop Once Blew Hole in PM's Plane While Airborne
21 November 2008
New Zealand Herald / NZPA
A diplomatic protection squad police officer once shot a hole in the side of an airborne plane carrying former Prime Minister Jim Bolger, it has been revealed.
The DPS guards the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, usually keeping a low profile.
But the decision to completely surround incoming Prime Minister John Key on election night with a tight ring of officers has raised questions about its tactics.
In a discussion panel on Radio New Zealand this week,... (GunPolicy.org)
Court Hears of Soldier's 'Thrill' at Stealing New Zealand Army Pistol
12 November 2008
Manawatu Standard
The man on trial for receiving and possessing a stolen army pistol was found guilty on both counts in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday.
The jury took four hours to reach the verdict and Michael Bob Fiti, 28, was remanded in custody until sentencing on February 2.
The six-day hearing was a retrial, after the last jury could not reach verdicts.
He pleaded guilty to possession of a shotgun found during a November 2006 police and military search to retrieve... (GunPolicy.org)
Replica Glock Pistols Spark New Zealand Police Warning
5 November 2008
Papakura Courier
An upsurge in young people "mucking around" with replica guns has Papakura police worried someone will end up hurt or worse.
Senior sergeant Mike McIlraith says police have had three callouts in the past week to youths brandishing weapons in public.
The guns turned out to be replicas, he says, but police procedure is to assume they're real.
In these callouts "it's prudent for us to take precautions by arming ourselves" so anyone carrying replica weapons in public is... (GunPolicy.org)