Gangs with guns are rising ‘threat’
The police union has warned politicians it is time to crack down on the increasing risk of criminals and gangs with guns.
Police Association president Chris Cahill was submitting on behalf of its 12,500 police members during a select committee hearing for a proposed new gun law.
The Arms Legislation Bill passed its first reading last month with the support of Labour, NZ First, and the Greens. The National Party, which supported the first batch of laws passed in the immediate aftermath of the Christchurch terror attack, opposed the bill. The second tranche of gun reform is expected to become law for the first anniversary of the shootings.
There are now concerns NZ First may want to wait for the findings of the royal commission of inquiry into the attack on the Christchurch mosques before recommitting to the legislation.
The commission will hand its findings to the Government no later than December 10.
Cahill told MPs he had seen a ‘‘massive increase’’ in the use of firearms by criminals. They were now carried as a matter of course.
The 501 deportees from Australia had changed the gang scene in New Zealand and the level of violence had increased dramatically. Gangs started arming to protect themselves but that had quickly escalated to involve police and the public, Cahill said.
‘‘We have to recognise the growing and escalating threat of firearms, in the hands of criminals, to New Zealanders.’’
The bill mandates an online self-service firearms registry, harsher laws, and halves firearms licence periods to five years. A new warning system will also be set up to show if an owner is a ‘‘a fit and proper person’’ and doctors, nurses and other health practitioners can notify police about concerns.
To say the new law would have no impact on criminals was not true, Cahill said.
He argued a gun register would change the culture around firearms by increasing the level of responsibility and security and would limit the number that end up in the hands of criminals .
Meanwhile, other submitters, which included Fish and Game, Federated Farmers, Hunting and Fishing, the NZ Deerstalkers’ Association, and the Game Animal Council, argued a register would be an administrative and cost burden and ineffective – pointing to the failure of registers overseas, and the practical difficulties of making such a register meaningful.