Self-audit launched as part of SA registered firearm safety blitz
Gun ownership in South Australia is facing a major shakeup to keep better track of weapons and improve public safety. Here’s how it will change.
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More than 66,000 licensed gun owners across South Australia will be required to self-audit their firearms in a national-first strategy aimed at increasing public safety.
SA Police will today launch an online portal where licence holders can provide the most detailed information ever recorded about the state’s 330,000-plus registered firearms.
A new database will be integrated with a national system to improve tracking registered guns that are stolen and then used to commit crimes.
Police will this week start writing to gun owners, who will have 28 days to complete their firearms audit or risk losing their licence.
The move has the support of Australia’s biggest firearms interest group, the Sporting Shooters Association, which says the previous system was inaccurate and inefficient.
Firearms Branch officer-in-charge Superintendent Stephen Howard said details now sought included the country where the gun was manufactured and the magazine type.
He said the new database would allow access to state and national firearms data in real time, as well as decrease turnaround time for licence applications, renewals and registrations.
“Firearms ownership and possession is a serious responsibility … it’s a privilege but it’s conditional on the overriding need for public safety,” Supt Howard told The Advertiser.
“We’re the first jurisdiction to be doing something like this and going to all our licence holders. I’m confident the firearms community will be supportive of this and will be very co-operative.”
The new SA database will be linked to the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission’s firearms information network, which all jurisdictions will be required to join.
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Supt Howard said this would provide a consistent national approach and help reduce discrepancies.
“It’s good from a public safety perspective because the more information we have about a firearm will increase our ability to track that firearm,” Supt Howard said.
“If someone illegally sold that firearm or had stolen that firearm at least we’ve got a starting point for our investigation.” Supt Howard said police would continue to conduct random spot checks to ensure licensed gun owners were compliant with firearms storage regulations.
Sporting Shooters Association SA president David Handyside said it was supportive of the self-audit and new database. “This is a good start to ensure data put in the system is considerably more accurate than the one that we’ve got at the moment,” he said.
Mr Handyside said the current system was too laborious for licensed gun owners.
“They’ve been working with a 1980s system,” he said.
For more information about the audit visit the SA Police Firearms Branch website.
Anyone with a firearm they no longer want is also invited to surrender it under the current general amnesty.
Originally published as Self-audit launched as part of SA registered firearm safety blitz
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