NSW gun crime up despite buyback
by Steve Warnock
Herald Sun
26 October 1997
Robbery with a firearm increased more than 13 percent in NSW during the gun buyback.
NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics figures show that in the first 10 months of the buyback, which began in September last year, there were 744 robberies committed with a firearm. In the previous 10 months, bandits armed with a handgun or rifle had been responsible for 654 robberies.
Murder statistics show that form December 1996 to the end of June this year 19 people were murdered with a firearms compared with 18 for the previous 1995-96 period.
The bureau's statistics show that in June this year, three months before the buyback ended on September 30, 113 robberies were committed with a firearm, compared with 84 in June last year.
There were only three months during the buyback when armed robberies were down on the previous year - December last year when there were 60 compared with 71 in December 1995; January this year when there were 69 compared with 80 the previous year, and March this year when there were 66 offences compared with 69 last year.
More than 150,000 firearms had been handed in during the buyback.
Federal and State Governments declared the scheme a success, but the gun lobby called it a flop.
John Tingle, the NSW Shooters Party Member of the Legislative Council, said the firearms handed back in NSW represented 5.6 pc of guns now banned sold in the State in the past 20 years.
In the four days from Monday to Thursday, there were at least seven armed robberies in NSW.
On Wednesday, Father James Stack, from Sydney's South Granville Holy Family Church, was robbed at gunpoint by two men of $1,000 bingo takings.
Early in the week, a man was shot in the leg when three men raided his home at Seaview Street, Dulwich Hill, and employees at a Pennant Hills
Pizza Hut were assaulted and robbed by two armed, masked bandits.
One Violent month
OCT 1: Man threatened bank staff with pistol.
OCT 3: Robber held gun to bank teller's head at Wetherill Park.
OCT 6: Man shot by police at Newcastle after refusing to put down a rifle.
Armed man robbed a motor repair workshop at Arncliffe.
OCT 7: Police arrested suspect member of the 5T gang carrying a pistol at Cabramatta.
OCT 8: Ambulance hit by bullet at Auburn.
OCT 14: Taxi driver robbed at gunpoint at Goulburn.
OCT 15: Woman shot by police while carrying a replica handgun.
OCT 17: Teller shot during hold-up at Unanderra. Two staff members shot at Roundabout Hotel in Sydney's south.
OCT 20: three bandits, one armed, held up staff at a Parramatta hotel.
Man shot during home invasion at Dulwich Hill.
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