Increase in Hunter firearm popularity triggers community concerns

BY SARAH JAMES

An investigation by Fairfax has revealed the number of registered firearms in the Hunter has increased from approximately 70,000 in 2012 to almost 100,000 in 2017.

During this same timeframe, the number of people holding a firearm licence doubled to more than 26,000.

In rural suburbs such as Aberdeen, Merriwa and Willow Tree, the number of firearms is higher than the adult population.

The overall increase in gun ownership nationally has raised concerns from Gun Control Australia, who fear the laws will soon reflect those prior to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.

A spokesperson from Gun Control Australia, Samantha Lee, told 2NURFM a decline in gun laws in NSW has allowed gun ownership to flourish.

"Our gun laws are eroding at a fairly rapid rate...one of those erosions being the ability to accumulate a large cache of firearms per licence holder. This is exactly what the Port Arthur Agreement was meant to prevent to try and reduce gun deaths across Australia."

The second largest single stockpiler of firearms in NSW resides in the Cardiff-Edgeworth postcode 2285, owning 310 firearms.

"Statistics are showing that people are owning on average four to five guns each, and in some communities like the Hunter people are owning around one hundred guns each," she said.

However, owner of Thornton Hunting & Outdoors, Chris Barrett, argues that for many people in the Hunter region, owning a gun is often a necessary part of life.

"If you operate a farm you need a firearm in order to keep your stock alive, to keep your crops growing, it's an absolute necessity," he said.

"There is nothing wrong with legally owning, possessing and using firearms for legal pursuits such as sports target shooting, hunting and the destruction of feral animals that are really decimating our native wildlife."

While Gun Control Australia is pushing for the number of firearms per licence holder to be limited, gun advocates say this would inhibit serious sport shooters, with multiple firearms needed for different disciplines.

"One firearm is not going to cater to every single type of shooting event you want to be involved in," Mr Barrett said. "I would say to someone who wants to play golf 'how about you go out and use one club'. Not going to work. You need a number of clubs to get around the course. Firearms are the same."

While nearly 10,000 guns were handed over to NSW police during the 2017 National Firearms Amnesty, there are still concerns about the number of illegal firearms in the region.

"The illegal market is fed by the legal market. So the more guns that are available in the general community the more likely they are to be stolen and end up in the illegal market," said Ms Lee.

Mr Barrett echoed this sentiment, saying the real issue governments need to focus on is illegal firearms in illegal hands.

Source: ABC

Kurri Kurri Drive-By Shooting Thought to Be Bikie Gang Related

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police have charged a man with firearm offenses for an alleged drive-by shooting in Kurri Kurri earlier this year.

Projectiles were fired into a vehicle and a dwelling in Greta Street at about 1:50am on October 15 - a mother and three children were reportedly asleep in the home at the time. 

Police from the Central Hunter Local Area Command found a partially burnt out Mitsubishi Magna not far from the incident on the same night.

Following extensive inquiries police arrested a 21-year-old man at Tuggerah yesterday and charged him over the incident.

He was charged with fire firearm at dwelling and fire firearm at other than dwelling disregarding safety.

Police believe the incident may have been bikie gang related (OMCG). The man is believed to be a nominee for the Finks.

The 21-year-old will appear at Wyong Local Court today.


EARLIER

Drive-By Shooting At Kurri Kurri

Nearly 800 Guns From the Hunter Handed In During Amnesty

BY JESSICA ROUSE

NSW Police has received a massive haul of firearms during the National Firearms Amnesty including a whopping 778 from the Hunter region.

The three month amnesty started in July and ran until the end of September in a bid to crack down on the number of guns in the state.

Lake Macquarie has handed in the most with 266, followed by 169 in Port Stephens.

Across the state, nearly 10,000 firearms and firearm-related items including 602 handguns and 1575 shotguns have been surrendered to police.

Image NSW Police Force Facebook page.

NSW Police Force Deputy Commissioner of Regional Field Operations Gary Worboys said the response in regional areas has been overwhelming.

“It’s extremely encouraging to see community members recognising the danger posed by these weapons and doing the right thing by handing them in or having them registered,” Deputy Commissioner Worboys said.

"I think in the country areas its just a part of life out there in terms of firearm ownership and people handing firearms down through generations and these amnesties provide opportunities for people to have a look in sheds and cupboards and come forward and give those in and have them destroyed."

Surrendered items of interest include 20 SKS assault rifles, eight M1 carbine military self-loading rifles, four sub-machine guns, a Colt AR-15 rifle, a .44 calibre magnum revolver, an Adler 110 shotgun, and a Mauser model 1918 T-Gewehr-Bolt Action anti-tank rifle.

It wasn't just firearms which were surrendered to police, under the amnesty 130 prohibited items were handed in including 14 crossbows, 27 suppressors, samurai swords and knives.

Deputy Commissioner of Metropolitan Field Operations Jeff Loy is also very pleased with the number of guns which are now off the streets because he said gun crime affects everybody.

“In the wrong hands, guns are a lethal weapon so it’s pleasing to see people are keen to do the right thing and have used the opportunity to dispose of firearms and other weapons to ensure they don’t end up in the wrong hands,” Deputy Commissioner Loy said.

Deputy Commissioner Worboys said while so many have been handed in, there's no question there are still some out there in the wrong hands.

"The other thing that's important today is to recognise that we still accept that firearms are a part of criminal entities out there. People have information on that and they need to make sure they bring that forward."

Search continues for men who robbed a man at Tingira Heights

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police are still searching for two men who held up and robbed a man in the street at Tingira Heights.

A 21-year-old man was walking along Violet Town Road at about 5:30am yesterday when he was approached by the pair who threatened him with a gun.

The two men managed to get away in a small bronze or maroon coloured sedan with a mobile phone, key cards and some personal property.

The victim wasn't injured during the incident and no shots were fired.

Anyone with information is urged to come forward or contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

Crackdown on bikie gangs in the Hunter continues

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

The crackdown on bikie gangs in the Hunter has continued with police carrying out raids in Lake Macquarie.

Officers from the Gangs Squad and Strike Force Raptor and Hunter police carried out investigations under Strike Force Batterson in relation to violent acts believed to be related to a dispute between rival gangs.

In all, 15 properties were searched here and in Sydney including four home units in Lake Macquarie.

Police have since seized a number of drugs, ammunition, drugs and cash and several members of the Finks and Nomads bikie gangs have been arrested.

Biggest gun heist in Hunter history

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

Police have arrested three men over the theft of 40 shotguns and rifles from a Newcastle storage facility last December.

In the biggest gun heist in the Hunter's history, Fairfax Media reports detectives from Strike Force Eddonville have managed to recover at least 33 of the missing guns stolen from a Kennards storage facility in Newcastle West.

Police had feared the weapons could be sold on the black market and end up in the hands of criminals.

The three men now face the courts on a range of charges including burglary and property offences.