By Dominique Tassell
A leading Warwick firearm dealer has backed the Crime Stoppers Queensland Illicit Firearms Campaign, joining forces to reduce the threat of illicit firearms falling into the wrong hands.
Crime Stoppers has partnered with Downs Guns and Ammo to promote a permanent national firearms amnesty, visiting Warwick on Thursday, September 9, as part of a state-wide regional road trip.
While Australia has some of the toughest gun controls in the world, regional and rural property owners can be at an increased risk of their unsecured firearms being stolen and used in criminal activity.
Downs Guns and Ammo owner, Chris Thompson, said the store supported the amnesty by helping members of the public dispose of unwanted firearms.
“I think the amnesty is a great way to help keep firearms out of the wrong hands and them being used for criminal activity,” she said.
“In the first few days we had six firearms handed into our store, but I would encourage more people to come forward.
“It’s not about taking guns off people, it’s about ensuring they are registered.”
As of Thursday 9 September, the store had a total of eight firearms handed in through the amnesty.
Downs Guns and Ammo’s other owner, Peter Thompson, says three out of five guns handed in are “junkers”.
Chris says “we had a gentleman who found an old rusty gun in the roof of his shed“.
“He didn’t know how long it had been there but decided to do the right thing and hand it in.
“This is a common occurrence where people find an old firearm on their property and have no purpose for it or are unsure if it’s registered.”
Chris and Peter did say that this amnesty being national has made it slightly different to the last one in 2017, as every state has different laws and the new amnesty has had to fit them all.
They stated that they would like some elements of other state’s systems to be included in Queensland.
In Queensland, firearms dealers can’t check themselves if a firearm is flagged in the system.
Victorian dealers can do this, and they say it’s “better to know than not know”.
Crime Stoppers Queensland CEO, Carmen Jenkinson says the amnesty is “a work in progress” and “a workaround until the legislation catches up”.
John Vichie Firearms in Stanthorpe are participating in the amnesty, though they are not listed on the website.
They weren’t aware they weren’t listed until recently.
“We’re certainly participating,” they say.
The business say they’ve had a “small number“ of people handling in firearms through the amnesty.
They say “some people don’t want to be involved because its lots of paperwork and you have to destroy the firearms yourself, but that’s certainly not us.”
He says “often people find old guns and don’t know what to do with them”.
Crime Stoppers Queensland CEO, Carmen Jenkinson said “the fight against gun crime is stronger than ever and by joining forces with the Warwick community and surrounding regional towns, we can all play our part in keeping our towns safe and reducing the risk of illicit weapons falling into the wrong hands”.
“During our regional road trip, our key focus is to educate the public on the threat of unwanted, unregistered and illicit firearms in our communities.
“Our message to regional Queenslanders is to keep your firearm licence current, ensure all of your firearms are registered and keep them securely stored.”
Australia has estimated 250,000 long arm and 10,000 handguns that are either unregistered or unable to be registered, as well as prohibited firearm accessories.
“Firearms are often kept in innocence and ignorance of their illegality or simply overlooked and forgotten in people’s homes,” she said.
Carmen says 973 firearms have been provenance checked so far in the state, with 26 firearms of interest.
“Our focus in Warwick and surrounding regional towns is to educate the public on the threat of unwanted, unregistered, and illicit firearms and encouraging residents to hand in these firearms so that they cannot fall into the wrong hands.
“Firearms, like the ones handed in to Downs Guns and Ammo, are often kept in innocence or simply overlooked and forgotten in people’s homes.
“There are occasions where someone might have Grandad’s old gun in the back shed, have received a gun from a friend or family member, or a firearm is legally registered but no longer needed.”
Unregistered firearms pose a serious a threat to our local communities because they are difficult to trace and can fall into the hands of criminals. The amnesty provides an opportunity to safely dispose of a firearm without cost or penalty.
Crime Stoppers participated in a national firearm amnesty in 2017, which saw 57,324 firearms handed in along with 2,432 parts and accessories and more than 80,000 rounds of ammunition. During that campaign, a number of machine guns were handed in, including a WWII Sten and a Russian-made sub-machine gun, as well as a flare gun converted to shoot 12-gauge ammunition, a rocket launcher, and an anti-tank bolt action rifle.
Being caught with an unregistered or illegal firearm outside amnesty conditions could result in a fine of up to $66,725, up to 13 years in jail, and a criminal record.
Carmen wanted to emphasise that crime stoppers is not trying to make all guns disappear.
She says they understand that people have legitimate reason to own guns.
The organisations’ focus is on “no penalty if you take steps”.
Locations confirmed to be participating in the amnesty in our region:
• Daniel Alfred Johnson in Rosenthal Heights
• Warwick Outdoor and Sports and Downs Guns and Ammo in Warwick
• Redback Precision Equipment at The Summit
• John Vichie Firearms in Stanthorpe
If not included on this list, check with your local dealer to find out if they are involved in the National Firearms Amnesty.
Information about Queensland requirements, including how and where to surrender firearms, can be found at crimestoppers.com.au/firearmamnesty/qld/.
