NT gun unit chief charged with stealing firearms from police

THE cop in charge of regulating all guns in the NT is facing charges for allegedly stealing firearms from the NT Police and storing them at his house

Generic picture of police officer with gun in holster. Police officers are losing interest in keeping their jobs due to poor wages and other issues amongst colleagues.

THE cop in charge of regulating all guns in the Northern Territory is facing charges for allegedly stealing half a dozen firearms from the NT Police and storing them at his house, the NT News can reveal.

Sgt Peter Ruzsicska, who headed up the Firearms Policy and Records Unit, was charged back in August with six counts of stealing firearms. However, police at that time did not release his name or his position.

They only said that a 53-year-old officer was charged “for an alleged stealing offence”.

Sgt Ruzsicska was based out of the Peter McAulay Centre where he was tasked with approving or denying people’s firearms licences. He was also one of the officers who determined if a person was “fit and proper” to have a gun licence.

It’s alleged the firearm thefts occurred over a four-month period from November 2012 to March 2013.

“As the matter is before the courts, it would be inappropriate for police to make any comment at this stage,” a police spokesman said.

They would also not confirm which types of firearms were allegedly stolen, nor what they were to be used for.

Sgt Ruzsicska gave expert advice to Western Australia’s firearms review paper three months before being charged with the alleged thefts. It’s believed he also gave input to the Territory’s Firearms Amendment Act 2014.

He has been suspended from his position since August.

Sgt Ruzsicska will appear in Darwin Magistrates Court for a four-day hearing beginning March 1. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.