Western Australians are being urged to hand over unlicensed firearms as part of a nationwide gun amnesty. The National Firearms Amnesty begins on July 1, 2017 and aims to reduce the number of unregistered or illegal guns on the streets.
“We know when guns fall into the wrong hands, there can be terrible and tragic outcomes.” Police Minister Michelle Roberts commented “For whatever reason, people may be in possession of an unlicensed firearm. It’s possible relatives of deceased family members have come across guns in their loved one’s estate and are not sure what to do with them. This is an opportunity to hand them in without fear of being prosecuted.”
Minister Roberts explained that people will be able to surrender guns or gun parts at any WA police station without fear of being prosecuted. Where suitable, WA Police will also allow those handing in the firearms to apply to have them registered. The Minister also pointed out that the last amnesty held by WA Police resulted in more than 1,200 guns being surrendered. The current amnesty will run for three months until September 30, 2017.

People are asked to plan ahead and call first, before visiting their local police station.