As part of the national's first permanent amnesty NSW Police and Crime Stoppers are offering residents around the country, including the Central West, the chance to register or surrender illegal firearms without penalty.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Unwanted or unregistered firearms, parts and ammunition can be surrendered for destruction without cost, with increasing community safety the ultimate aim of the program which also includes the safe storage of weapons as well.
The amnesty coincides with the launch of Gun Safe, a new, online portal for managing firearms transactions in NSW. The platform is the first of its kind and will replace manual licence applications with real-time information and verification.
The portal will be linked to the acquisition of firearms in NSW and disposal of them locally and interstate, with a risk-based system designed to notify the registry of unusual or unverified transactions.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the introduction of a permanent national amnesty sends a clear message that community safety is paramount.
"This new permanent amnesty will allow community members to surrender for destruction unwanted or unregistered firearms and ammunition cost free," Mr Elliott said.
"Gun safe, the new online portal will ensure that all firearms transactions are accounted for, giving the community peace of mind that police can access real time information when it comes to guns to help prevent crime and keep our communities safe."
Assistant Commissioner Scott Cook, the Police Prosecutions and Licensing Enforcement Commander, is encouraging gun owners to surrender or register their firearms.
"We encourage NSW residents to take advantage of the amnesty to surrender their firearms, gun parts and ammunition, without fear of being penalised for illegal possession," he said.
"Our focus, as always, is public safety. We want to reduce the number of illegal firearms in the community, so they don't fall into the hands of criminals, who use unregistered firearms for intimidation and violence."
Crime Stoppers CEO Peter Price said the initiatives will help a continued shift towards a more community-centric approach to firearms and safety.
"Previously, firearms amnesties had a definitive time frame, but we understand that some members of the community might change their minds about handing in illegal firearms, so we want to give them the opportunity to do so anytime, anywhere," he said.
- READ MORE: Turnbull savages vaccine rollout 'failure'
"All of us have seen the harm that is caused by the unlawful use of a firearm and the impact on community confidence that often follows, which is why we all have a part to play in making our community safer - that's our aim.
Participating dealers can now accept and record unregistered firearms through the NSW Police Force's new Gun Safe platform. Dealers using the digital platform can register firearms, prohibited weapons, gun parts and ammunition under the Amnesty.
"For police, the system gives us more oversight, so we know when, where and how amnesty guns are being handed in," Assistant Commissioner Cook said.
More information about the amnesty and surrendering, registering or selling unwanted firearms is available from crimestoppers.com.au/firearmsamnesty.
Resident around the state are encouraged to monitor government advice regarding the COVID-19 outbreak in NSW and what restrictions are in place. Currently, handing in firearms does not meet the criteria of a 'reasonable excuse' to break stay-at-home orders.
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.
