Amnesty takes 200 illegal firearms 'off the street'

Wednesday, 24 July 2019

Superintendent Paul Basham discusses the first gun buyback held in the Southern region.

A firearms amnesty held alongside New Zealand's gun buyback scheme has quietly removed hundreds of illegal weapons from circulation.

More than half of the 201 weapons handed over as part of the amnesty have come from the South Island, including 61 from Canterbury.

Anybody, including non-licensees, can anonymously hand over any firearms during the amnesty period, which runs until December 20.

The firearms buyback event held at Mosgiel on Friday.

The firearms would be destroyed and were not eligible for the government's buyback scheme.

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Police were unable to provide a breakdown of the type of weapons collected as part of the amnesty.

Southern district commander Superintendent Paul Basham said slug guns, .22 rifles and shotguns were part of the haul at the region's first buyback in Mosgiel on Friday.

'This is an opportunity to take those firearms off the street … and reduce the harm they could potentially cause.

'It is a golden period to do that.'

Those who went to the amnesty could hand over the weapons with 'no strings attached'.

Police were not recording the personal details of anyone handed over firearms as part of the amnesty, he said.

A police spokeswoman said the amnesty gave people a chance to hand in prohibited firearms even if they no longer held a valid firearm licence.

People could also hand in non-prohibited firearms if they no longer wanted them in their possession.

'During the amnesty period it is not an offence to possess firearms that are newly prohibited, but you cannot use them,' she said.

Since the buyback scheme started in Christchurch on July 13, 2143 gun owners have surrendered 3275 firearms.

Police Minister Stuart Nash said the amnesty served 'a very useful public safety purpose.

It was designed to capture firearms that were in the community for a range of reasons, not all of which were lawful.

He was aware of some historic or vintage items, such as shotguns or pistols more than a century old, that were handed in as part of the amnesty 'even though they are not prohibited'.

'Police are putting some of these items to one side to determine a suitable way of disposing of them, including the possibility of donating them to a museum,' Nash said.

'I encourage anyone with an old gun or gun part or ammunition stored in the back of the cupboard or shed to hand it in, no questions asked.'

FIREARMS COLLECTED UNDER AMNESTY TO DATE

Northland 28

Waitemata 0

Auckland City 19

Counties Manukau 1

Waikato 28

Bay of Plenty 26

Eastern 10

Central 42

Wellington 9

Tasman 11

Canterbury 61

Southern 34