The Government has today announced a new policy to give authorities greater powers to stop gang members accessing firearms.
Associate Minister of Justice Nicole McKee said the Government would extend legislation around Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPOs) to gang members.
Under current laws, courts could prohibit high-risk offenders from accessing, using or being around guns.
The Police Association says officers are pleased to the changes but Labour's claiming it's a smokescreen for a different agenda. (Source: 1News)
The proposed new laws would mean any gang member or associate convicted of a “significant offence” wouldn't be able to access firearms.
McKee also said the new measures would "give police greater powers to search gang members for firearms".
"Police will also be granted new powers to search offenders with a FPO, their vehicles, and their premises for firearms at any time," McKee said.
She said the legislation was necessary "to ensure public safety".
The bill would also allow people subjected to an order to apply to have their FPO changed, modified, or revoked after five years — instead of 10 under current laws.
"If someone can demonstrate that they no longer pose a risk to public safety, then they should be treated as such, but if they continue with their antisocial behaviour and put others in harm, then it is in the public’s interest to make sure they can’t get their hands on more illegal firearms," McKee said.
Earlier this week, RNZ reported semi-automatics could make a return to gun ranges as part of a shake-up of firearms laws.
National and ACT agreed to rewrite the Arms Act — in place since the early 1980s — as part of its coalition arrangement.
The announcement comes after the Government revealed a raft of new anti-gang laws that will ban gang patches in public and make it harder for gang members to gather in public.
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