Drizzt
Member
Gun check proposal cops a blast
Russell Robinson
09mar05
A POLICE plan for door-to-door checks of every gun owner in the state has drawn flak from firearms groups.
The plan is being considered by the Chief Commissioner's office but gun groups believe police numbers are insufficient to cover the estimated 200,000 registered owners in Victoria.
Police said yesterday the focus would be on firearms storage.
"This is a national approach. New South Wales is already in the process of doing an audit and we're proposing to do it as well," spokesman Kevin Loomes said, adding that the details were yet to be finalised.
The proposal has been dismissed by some gun groups who say police don't have the numbers to check on every owner.
The Combined Firearms Council of Victoria said the survey would tie up police resources.
"The cost of the program will come out of the police budget and therefore general policing resources," the council said.
"The rationale for the audit is unclear given that the firearms registration database has been going though a clean-up over the past few years with the full co-operation of licensed shooters.
"There are about 200,000 licensed shooters in Victoria. If this results in the police spending, say, two hours on each audit, that is 400,000 police hours on clerical duties that are no longer spent on general community policing.
"That's more than 50,000 police days."
Under the Firearms Act it is an offence not to properly store weapons.
Owners who breach the Act risk not only losing their firearms licence, but also having their weapons seized.
Cases of inappropriate storage to have come before the Firearms Appeals Committee include owners who left their guns on the back seats of cars.
Two involved security guards. One left his handgun on a toilet, and the other left his weapon on a car roof.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,12486511%5E2862,00.html
Russell Robinson
09mar05
A POLICE plan for door-to-door checks of every gun owner in the state has drawn flak from firearms groups.
The plan is being considered by the Chief Commissioner's office but gun groups believe police numbers are insufficient to cover the estimated 200,000 registered owners in Victoria.
Police said yesterday the focus would be on firearms storage.
"This is a national approach. New South Wales is already in the process of doing an audit and we're proposing to do it as well," spokesman Kevin Loomes said, adding that the details were yet to be finalised.
The proposal has been dismissed by some gun groups who say police don't have the numbers to check on every owner.
The Combined Firearms Council of Victoria said the survey would tie up police resources.
"The cost of the program will come out of the police budget and therefore general policing resources," the council said.
"The rationale for the audit is unclear given that the firearms registration database has been going though a clean-up over the past few years with the full co-operation of licensed shooters.
"There are about 200,000 licensed shooters in Victoria. If this results in the police spending, say, two hours on each audit, that is 400,000 police hours on clerical duties that are no longer spent on general community policing.
"That's more than 50,000 police days."
Under the Firearms Act it is an offence not to properly store weapons.
Owners who breach the Act risk not only losing their firearms licence, but also having their weapons seized.
Cases of inappropriate storage to have come before the Firearms Appeals Committee include owners who left their guns on the back seats of cars.
Two involved security guards. One left his handgun on a toilet, and the other left his weapon on a car roof.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,12486511%5E2862,00.html
Hey, what's more important... catching criminals or making sure those evil gunowners don't let their evil guns roam free to cause mischeif and mayhem?
