Happiness might be a warm gun, but the police will be happier when firearms are out of public reach. Canberrans can hand in unregistered or illegal firearms, parts, or ammunition to the police without penalty for registration, sale, or destruction under a national permanent amnesty that began on 1 July.
“ACT Policing is committed to ensuring Canberra remains a safe city, and this amnesty assists in removing unregistered and unwanted firearms from our streets,” said Acting Chief Police Officer Liz McDonald.
Crime Stoppers ACT and ACT Policing launched the National Firearms Amnesty at the ACT Firearms Registry (Exhibition Management Centre, 86 Vicars Street, Mitchell) today.
In coming weeks and months, Crime Stoppers and the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs will run a National Illicit Firearms Campaign to encourage the public to surrender weapons to the ACT Firearms Registry in Mitchell or to police. The campaign supports police efforts to stop criminal gangs possessing, using, and trading illicit firearms.
Firearms are used in violent crimes including murder, armed robbery, threats to kill, and extortion, Acting CPO McDonald said. “One illegal firearm in our community is one too many.”
Anyone who hands in a firearm or related item to ACT Policing during the amnesty will not be prosecuted or fined, she said.
During the last national firearms amnesty, held in 2017, Australians handed in more than 57,000 firearms – including 699 firearms and 60 parts and accessories in the ACT.
Since July last year, ACT Policing has had surrendered or seized more than 760 firearms.
“We live in a world where a minority use firearms to threaten, injure and kill others,” said ACT Region Crime Stoppers Chair, Diana Forrester. “It’s important to limit the opportunity for criminals to access and use firearms.
“All of us have seen the harm caused by the unlawful use of a firearm. Not just to the victim, their friends and family, but also the impact on the community confidence that often follows. We all have a part to play in making our community safer.”
Grey market firearms (those that should have been handed in or registered) are not normally kept because people have bad deeds in mind, but these firearms can – and do – end up in the wrong hands.
Ms Forrester explained, “Surrendering unwanted weapons during the amnesty means a child won’t accidentally shoot themselves after discovering grandpa’s old rifle stored for years in the back of the shed. It means an abusive partner can’t use it as a weapon of control, and it won’t fall into the hands of people who use them to commit crime.”
Firearms have often been used to commit a violent crime; afterwards, people admit they should have done something about it, but did not. “If you have an unwanted or unregistered firearm, then please – do yourself, your loved ones and your community a favour, and make surrendering it a priority,” Ms Forrester said.
People can surrender their firearms or firearm-related items at the ACT Firearms Registry, 86 Vicars Street, in Mitchell during business hours, or at a police station.
For further information about the National Firearms Amnesty, visit crimestoppers.com.au or call the ACT Firearms Registry on (02) 5126 9076.
Anyone with information about an illicit firearm can contact Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.
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