Semiautomatics in 600 seized weapons

AUCKLAND: Frontline police have seized more than 600 firearms across Auckland city in less than a calendar year, including 20 militarystyle semiautomatics that are now banned.

New figures released under the Official Information Act show an escalation in gun violence has left at least 23 people injured and seven dead since December 2018.

The figures do not include two recent shootings at a Favona house where 57yearold grandmother Meliame Fisi’ihoi was shot dead nearly a fortnight ago in what is believed to be a case of mistaken identity.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff is blaming drug trafficking and organised crime for the spike in violence.

The Police Association said the statistics painted a worrying picture about the sheer volume of firearms now circulating in the criminal underworld.

‘‘That’s pretty scary,’’

Association president Chris

Cahill said.

‘‘That demonstrates why you get a large number of police officers saying they feel they need to be generally armed.

‘‘Also, you can understand why police are trialling armed response teams.’’

Some of these incidents involved multiple weapons, a total of 709 individual firearms being recorded.

The weapons included 186 rifles, 166 airguns, 138 shotguns, 101 pistols, 74 imitation firearms, 20 MSSAs, 16 unknown weapons and eight restricted firearms.

Offenders discharged a firearm in 78 cases, resulting in 23 people being injured and seven others shot dead.

Ms Fisi’ihoi’s killing took the fatality count to eight.

Of the 709 firearms recorded, 646 were seized, recovered or surrendered. Another 63 weapons were not located and were still in circulation.

The shooting figures include selfharm incidents, and one incident in which police fired at an offender but missed.

The Herald reported last month that a surge in Auckland gun violence had resulted in 150 shooting victims having been admitted to the city’s hospitals in just four years.

Those figures were described as ‘‘staggering’’, sparking calls from police and community leaders for residents to stand up and report criminal behaviour to help get the guns off the streets. — The New Zealand Herald