Gun amnesty ends
Wednesday June 17, 2009
Cobar residents have handed in 20 firearms, one replica firearm, one part of a firearm and 331 pieces of ammunition under the state wide gun amnesty which ended recently.
Cobar Police collected 14 rifles and six shotguns, as well as various other items under the amnesty.
NSW Police Minister Tony Kelly said the statewide operation to take unregistered and illegal firearms off the streets was extremely successful.
Statewide, 4,323 guns were handed in, with the majority classified as rifles.
Mr Kelly said the amnesty has had a “real and direct” impact on guns in the community.
“The majority of responsible gun owners have received the government’s message loud and clear—own a firearm lawfully or you won’t own one at all,” he said.
The amnesty also prompted hundreds of people to register for a gun licence and will now be followed by a ‘rolling audit’ on all gun owners to ensure that their firearms are registered and secured safely.
“Anyone who hasn’t acted during this three month amnesty period will now face the consequences of the law if they are in possession of an illegal or unregistered gun,” Mr Kelly said.
“A critical part of this amnesty was to ensure that all gun owners are storing their firearms safely.
“Licence holders should be aware that if the safe storage facility is found to be noncompliant with the current regulations, no leniency will be given,” he said.
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