Withheld Firearm Data Shows Buyback Never Worked

Wednesday, 9 March 2022, 6:07 pm
Press Release: COLFO

The “GunSafe” firearm data withheld from the New Zealand Herald for two years proves that the firearm confiscation following the Christchurch terror attack did not work, and the Government was wrong to act against licensed firearm owners. COLFO Spokesperson Hugh Devereux-Mack says that if the GunSafe data is correct, illegal firearms were never handed in by criminals.
“This data, withheld for two years, shows the buyback did not make New Zealanders safer. Illegally owned firearms stayed illegally owned, in homes and on the street, ready to be used. Licensed firearm owners were vilified for complaining about the buyback and rule changes, and were maligned in an infamous cover of the Police Association magazine,” he said. “Two years later the Police’s own data proves that we were right; a buyback would, as in every other country they have been tried, only recover the legal firearms, not the underground firearms that posed the real risk to everyone’s safety.”
Chris Cahill – Police Assn., president

GunSafe data was promised to be public and easily accessible to help guide policy. Police Association President Chris Cahill originally praised the Police for creating what he called a “dashboard of stats showing the “firearms event” landscape for the whole country.”
Devereux-Mack says GunSafe data has been selectively presented and misused since it was created in 2019. 
COLFO, the New Zealand Herald and many others frustrated at the misuse have had to turn to the Official Information Act to extract data from Police. 
COLFO supports frontline officers and their work on operation Tauwhiro which is necessary to tackle criminal use of firearms said Devereux-Mack.
“This is where Police should be investing their efforts and not the administration of the firearms licensing system where police have clearly shown  that they are an inefficient disaster,” he said.










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8 Responses to Withheld Firearm Data Shows Buyback Never Worked

  1. Frank Henry says:

    The strident, taciturn Chris Cahill is a public relations disaster for the police.
    He seems to fervently hate firearms and the law abiding firearm owning public.

  2. Justice Will B. Dunn. says:

    Saddest part is that all the time, effort and money that went into Comrade Adern’s big confiscation of privately owned property appears to have been completely misdirected – gangs having shoot outs in hotel lobbies in downtown Auckland attest to the utter failure and waste of money of it. Another failure of supposed secure govt held information (this time the NZ Teachers Council) once again brings into sharp relief how disastrous a gun ownership registry will be, a veritable shopping list for the organised crims.

  3. Charlie Baycroft says:

    There is a very obvious PREJUDICE against firearms and people that choose to legally own and use them among the influential people in our political system.

    Prejudice cannot be overcome by facts and rational thinking or discussion.

    The only way to deal with prejudice and discrimination is to recognize it, expose it and confront the people who have these irrational beliefs.

    Passively accepting prejudice and discrimination only re-enforces the delusions of those who hold biased, stereotypical beliefs about those who are somehow different from themselves.

    Licensed Firearm Owners, properly assessed by the system, have little propensity to violent behavior and pose no real threat to the safety of others.

    People with criminal tendencies do not abide by regulations and laws.

    The consequence of this prevailing prejudice is the progressive CRIMINALIZATION of responsible citizens by more and more discriminatory legislation that will not be complied with.

    The most effective way of confronting and opposing this prejudice against responsible licensed owners of firearms would be for more of them to become actively involved in the main political parties where this prejudice prevails.

    If anyone would join and attend the local party meetings they would be quite surprised to see how few people are active and influential and how biased their culture and beliefs really are.

    This politically influential minority wants to discourage the ownership and use of firearms by making it more and more difficult for law abiding people to comply.

    They are determined to make legal ownership of firearms so inconvenient that the only choice will be whether to now own or illegally own them.

    We ought not to blame “the Police” for the excessive legislation that discourages compliance. The police do not make the regulations but have to try to enforce them whether they agree or not.

    The current Minister of Police emphasizes her opinion that ownership of firearms is a PRIVILEGE that ought to be withdrawn and intends to do just that with the support of most of the influential people in this current government.

    The reaction to the Mosque tragedy made it clear that our legally owned personal property can be forcibly confiscated whenever those with political authority choose to do so.

    The writing, as they say, is clearly on the wall and the only responsible means of opposing it is for more and more LFO’s to become more active and involved in the political system.

  4. Sandy Dune says:

    Responding to Frank Henry re Mr Cahill, the Police Association president needs reminding he’s a public servant, his salary comes from the public purse.The salary (and perks) for the Minister of Police is the same and each and every MP is a public servant, even the High and Mighty Madame Ardern.

  5. Jim Hilton Batchelor Science Hons Biology 1971 says:

    What Charlie Baycroft writes makes sense. My involvement with Party Politics indicates that there are far fewer people pulling strings than most people realise. If firearm owners want their present rights protected and their old rights reinstated they need to go along to political party meetings and make a fuss. It is clear that our now authoritarian ruling classes have an agenda to reduce the number of firearms in private ownership. I could suggest reasons for this but they are pretty obvious.
    People have been using weapons to collect food and protect themselves since day one.
    It’s time for a New Zealand Constitution where basic human rights like the right to bear arms (own firearms) is protected like citizens enjoy in the USA.

  6. Tony Orman says:

    Jim Hilton and Charles Baycroft are so correct. Get in where decisions and policies are made. Join a political party – a credible one if you can find one as such. I’ve always advocated this. Politics in your recreation is nothing more than “cause and effect.”
    Forest and Bird recognised this years ago and have got into positions of influence even career wise. The late Kevin Smith Forest and Bird zealot many years ago became chief secretary to the Minister of Conservation. Sandra Lee (Forest and Bird) became Conservation Minister!
    Sadly deerstalkers, trout anglers, saltwater recreational anglers have shied away from getting political.
    To dodge politics is to be on the back foot and with your feet not under the table.

  7. Stewart Hydes says:

    It’s well understood by many now, surely, that the so-called Gun Buybacks were a virtually complete waste of time.
    The government’s rushed response and legislation have done little but scapegoat legitimate and law-abiding Firearms Licence Holders … causing them to become alienated and disaffected.
    Alienation and disaffection are not the best means by which to gain people’s cooperation – either now, or in the future.
    New Zealand’s bungled response is in stark contrast to Denmark .. who took ten years to make their law changes .. and have got them right.
    They’ve kept everybody on board, and in support of the changes they’ve made.
    They realised the most important people to keep on board .. are the people who legitimately own and use firearms, themselves.
    Not the whingeing, snivelling anti-gun lobby. Apart from their whingeing and snivelling .. they are of no consequence whatsoever, in the matter.
    If you’re making changes that affect the Fishing Industry .. the people you’ve got to work with and keep on board the most .. are the Fishing Industry themselves, right? Makes sense.
    Out government have properly ballsed this one up. They haven’t made New Zealand safer .. in fact, as we can all see, things have gotten worse.
    But our government are also slow learners. Faced with evidence things are not working .. they steadfastly continue to charge, headlong down the same flawed track.
    Continuing to do the same things .. and expecting a different outcome .. is Einstein’s definition of insanity.
    Which must bring into question the sanity of this government?

  8. Alice Pureblood says:

    The government and police have been guilty of spreading mis information about firearms in New Zealand. Law abiding, licenced gun owners have never been the problem and making it difficult for them to persue their legitimate sporting interests does nothing to stop the use of illegal guns by gangs and other miscreants. Furthermore, the police have proved themselves incapable of administering what should be a pretty simple body of legislation and their constant demand for “more powers” are absurd and unjustified.
    It is high time that the administration of firearms licencing was removed from the police and given to an independent authority as recommended in the Royal Commission Report and promised by the government (another of Stalinda’s broken promises) which would leave the police more time to concentrate on their core business of dealing with criminals which the vast majority of sporting shooters are NOT!

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