Handguns the prize target of criminals
Courier Mail, Page 5. Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Police have blamed Queensland’s drug culture for a worrying jump in concealable handguns in recent years.
A report obtained by Channel 7 under Right to Information legislation reveals from July 2005 to June 2008, 987 firearms were reported as stolen, including 72 semiautomatic weapons.
Although rifles were the most commonly stolen firearms, handgun thefts jumped from 12 in 2005-06 to 79 in 2007-08.
The big increase can partly be explained by a single incident at an Ipswich Sporting Shooters store in September 2007, in which 49 handguns were taken.
State Crime Operations Command Assistant Commissioner Ross Barnett said handguns were the most attractive to criminals because they were concealable.
He said police believed most firearms that were stolen were thrown away or destroyed by thieves.
“These weapons are not the primary motivation for the break-ins but when they’re found they are taken. We recover about 10 to 11 per cent.
Most of the thefts in the report occurred from private homes, garages and vehicles.
The majority were stored correctly in locked receptacles and 88 per cent of the stolen firearms were registered.
Mr Barnett said if police found stolen weapons had been stored incorrectly, the owners were charged.
He said an audit of gun licence holders last year found a 96 per cent compliance rate for the 28,000 homes checked.
“The vast majority of licensed weapons holders in Queensland are very responsible.
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