Three-month gun amnesty underway
Cowra Guardian, Page: 5. Wednesday, 25 March, 2009
A three month Firearm Amnesty is currently underway throughout NSW and Cowra police are encouraging those who have unregistered firearms to surrender or register them now.
The amnesty started at the beginning of the month and will run through until Sunday, May 31.
Cowra sergeant Tony Johns said owners of illegal firearms can now hand them in with no questions asked, no penalties given and anonymity is guaranteed.
“Some people inherit guns that have not been registered. This is an opportunity to register or hand guns in without any questions asked.
“However, after the amnesty any breach will be dealt with under the existing laws and penalties,” he said.
“Local Area Commands (LACs) across NSW will begin inspections of all licensed firearm holders’ storage facilities to ensure they comply with safety requirements after the amnesty ends.” Sergeant Johns said police will be notifying and arranging inspections with local firearms holders.
More than 160,000 gun licence holders across the state were forwarded letters from the NSWPF Firearms Registry late last month notifying them of the amnesty and what to do if they have unregistered firearms, which include imitations and replicas, firearm bands, ammunition, magazines and silencers.
The current amnesty is the third one in the last ten years.
In 2001, 45,000 firearms were handed in to police. In 2003 following changes in handgun restrictions, a five-month amnesty and mobile gun buyback, which encouraged legal handgun owners to submit their weapons for inspection and destruction, resulted in 18,000 guns being handed into police.
“The main purpose of the current amnesty is to keep the community safe by taking unregistered firearms off the streets and ensuring that those who are legally allowed to have firearms keep them safely stored to prevent any accidents,” Sergeant Johns said.
“This current amnesty is an opportunity for licence holders who may have unregistered firearms to register, providing their licence matches the firearm, and to any non-licence holders to hand in their weapons to the local police station with no questions asked.
“However, if police find unregistered firearms or unsafe or insecure firearms storage at the properties of licence holders after 31 May, they will be dealt with by law,” he said.
To coincide with the amnesty, a statewide public awareness poster, print and radio campaign titled Take Guns Out of the Equation will serve as a reminder to those who have illegal guns, those who are licensed shooters and also those who may know of someone with unregistered firearms.
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