A targeted firearm theft at Brighton, in Tasmania, has prompted a new round of bleating from Gun Control Australia’s Roland Browne. The problem of gun theft is getting out of control and tightening gun storage regulations needs to be the State Government’s priority, says the anti-gun lobbyist.
In a over-the-top suggestion that appears to penalise law-abiding firearms owners while ignoring criminals, Browne has called for compulsory alarm systems on gun safes that would automatically call a security company, according to a report from The Mercury newspaper.
According to the report, Mr Browne said such a change would be in the public interest, and that he would also like a total ban on semi-automatic hand guns and the enforcement of a minimum age of 18 for the use of hand guns.
“I’d like to see the minister approach it on the basis of good policy in the benefit of public safety and not be under pressure from the well-financed gun lobby.”
Mr Browne said he had been invited to meet with the Minister, which he would be doing soon.
“It’s a good step that after only one month in the job this Minister is straight in to tackling this review [of the Firearms Act 1996] and I applaud him for doing what the last government failed to do.”
Police are investigating a burglary from a residence in Brighton where firearms and cash were stolen. The firearms were correctly stored.
The burglary happened between 2.30pm Friday and 4pm Saturday. The stolen firearms were both pistols.
At the start of the month 13 firearms were stolen from a home at Newnham, in the state’s North, in what police suspected was also a targeted theft. More than 180 firearms have been stolen so far this financial year, 245 in the previous financial year and 189 the year before.
This financial year to February, 14 firearms had been unlawfully discharged, up from just two at the same time last year. There were 24 other firearm offences, including storage compliance and possession, double the number at the same time last year.
Operation Unification, including raids on those suspected of having stolen illegal firearms, will take place in early June.
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