Riverina Police District will continue cracking down on thieves rather than legal gun owners after new figures prompted a call for a regulation overhaul.
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It follows growing calls for increasing the penalties for those found guilty of stealing guns.
Figures obtained by Gun Control Australia revealed the number of guns stolen across the country have doubled in the past decade.
Wagga crime manager Detective Inspector Darren Cloake said it was important to find a balanced viewpoint, particular in rural areas such as the Riverina.
With at least two incidences of theft recorded across Tolland and Tarcutta in recent months, Detective Inspector Cloake said environmental awareness was key to prevention.
“We know on most occasions it’s legitimate firearm holders that are the victims of crimes,” he said.
“Any firearm stolen presents an ongoing risk to the community and be in circulation for up to 100 years or s, which has been recognised by the courts.”
The figures show that the number of gun thefts increased from more than 1,700 in 2007-8 to nearly 3,300 in 2016-17.
“I still believe it’s a conversation we need to have and more importantly we need to have a voice, especially here in rural areas where firearms are definitely a tool of the trade,” Detective Inspector Cloake said.
“They are doing the right things and inadvertently people break into their homes, see the safe is there and use that opportunity.”
According to the figures, NSW had the largest number of stolen guns at 6,651 in the past 10 years, with 761 stolen in 2016-17 alone.
Detective Inspector Cloake said those firearms were then typically used as a commodity, traded for drugs, cash or used during other crimes.
“We have a lot of recreational opportunities – only in the last two weeks we saw 10,000 shooters here for clay shooting. With assistance and support of the local community that balance will be found and we won’t be outweighed.”
He also encouraged firearms holders to report any thefts and safely store them away.
“If you’re going away for an extended period of time, have an alarm and notify your neighbours. We do have the capacity to recover these but still the onus is on the firearms owner to take away the opportunity,” he said.
