By Ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community
DATE: April 2015
AUTHOR: The Senate, Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Introduction
On 19 June 2014, the Senate referred the following matter to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 2 October 2014: The ability of Australian law enforcement authorities to eliminate gun-related violence in the community, with reference to:
- the estimated number, distribution and lethality of illegal guns, including both outlawed and stolen guns, in Australia;
- the operation and consequences of the illicit firearms trade, including both outlawed and stolen guns within Australia;
- the adequacy of current laws and resourcing to enable law enforcement authorities to respond to technological advances in gun technology, including firearms made from parts which have been imported separately or covertly to avoid detection, and firearms made with the use of 3D printers;
- the extent to which the number and types of guns stolen each year in Australia increase the risk posed to the safety of police and the community, including the proportion of gun-related crime involving legal firearms which are illegally held;
- the effect banning semi-automatic handguns would have on the number of illegally held firearms in Australia;
- stricter storage requirements and the use of electronic alarm systems for guns stored in homes;
- the extent to which there exist anomalies in federal, state and territory laws regarding the ownership, sale, storage and transit across state boundaries of legal firearms, and how these laws relate to one another; and
- any related matters.
