By Mikayla van Loon
With thousands of firearms still estimated to be held illegally, Victoria Police and Crime Stoppers are calling on people to speak up to help remove these weapons from the community.
For more regional and farmland areas like those in the Yarra Ranges, Crime Stoppers chief executive officer Stella Smith said even ensuring registered firearms are secured is important.
“We know that farming communities are targeted because there’s a likelihood that there will be guns on a property,” she said.
“So they are a target for criminals. The risk is if the firearms are not secured properly, that a criminal will take them and use them to do harm in the community or to commit further crimes.”
Ms Smith said the risk not only lies with the potential harm to people that could be caused if a property is targeted for a firearm but the link that firearm carries.
“If they take that firearm and use it to commit a crime, and it’s traced back to you, then you’re now answerable to the police,” she said.
Ownership of a gun requires the careful storing of the firearm and its parts under the firearms licensing and registration legislation, with the easiest way to do so being a gun safe.
Ms Smith said one thing she did also want to make clear “if it’s unregistered, it’s illegal”.
“Any unregistered firearm is an illegal firearm. You can be charged for holding it or you will be likely to be charged for holding onto it.
“The permanent national amnesty was introduced in July 2021. So there is the option to surrender unregistered or in some cases unwanted firearms, so they may be registered to the person who doesn’t want them anymore.”
The amnesty allows someone to surrender a firearm and/or its parts to the police or a licensed firearms dealer without prosecution and no questions asked of the person’s identity.
Should someone wish to surrender a gun, Ms Smith said it is always a good idea to call police ahead of doing so “because the last thing we want is anybody approaching a police station or driving around with a gun”.
It is estimated that 200,000 illegal firearms are still present in the community.
Last year, over 5000 firearm related incidents occurred according to the Crime Statistics Agency.
Crime Stoppers took over 1800 reports relating to the concern of firearms which were shared with Victoria Police to investigate further.
“We often receive reports at Crime Stoppers where the person isn’t 100 per cent sure, they’ve got a sense that something isn’t right.
“And that’s okay. That’s what we’re here for. We’re here for the community. So if you have information, I’d encourage you to come forward and report it to Crime Stoppers.”
The most recent joint campaign from both Crime Stoppers and police asks the community to ‘say something before it’s too late’.
Having seized more than 1,500 illegal firearms from criminals in 2023, Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Jason Kelly said any and all reports about suspected illegal activity makes a difference in keeping the community safe.
“We understand the community’s concern when it comes to gun-related violence, and we are taking strong action to target those responsible and prevent further harm,” he said.
Making a report to Crime Stoppers is anonymous either via the website or calling 1800 333 000.
“This is not about who you are. We’re really after the information about where that gun is located,” Ms Smith said.
