Armed police search an Auckland street as part of a homicide investiation. Photo / Michael Craig
New police data reveals New Zealand is awash with guns and frontline officers are encountering about 10 firearms every day, fuelling calls for the routine arming of police.
The worrying statistics show police carrying out their duties have discovered more than 10,000 firearms across the country in the past three years.
They also confirm Auckland is a hotbed for gun violence, with Counties Manukau police recording the highest number of weapons nationwide and the city's three policing districts accounting for about half the nation's firearms-related injuries and deaths.
It comes amid mounting public anxiety after a spate of shootings across the city killed several people and caught innocent victims "in the crossfire", as simmering gang tensions spilled over into violent bloodshed.
South Auckland councillor and former police officer Alf Filipaina says the "alarming" gun figures are a wakeup call for the community and underline the need for police to carry firearms when attending dangerous jobs likely to involve armed offenders.
"Holy crap. Your stats just confirm my worry and concern.
"The community needs to help police. We can't just say to the police, 'Good luck finding those firearms'. Our community needs to say, 'There's a firearm at this place, please get it out of the house'."
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says the gun seizure figures reflect a worrying increase in access to lethal weapons by criminals.
The Police Association warns that criminals seems to have an endless supply of firearms and are now more willing to "pull the trigger".
In response to growing concern about the number of firearms in circulation, police began recording their encounters with guns three years ago on the Gun Safe register.
This includes events where police locate and seize illegally held firearms, seize legally held firearms because of safety concerns around mental health or family harm, and "events involving the presentation or discharge of firearms at members of public or police".
In January 2020, the Herald revealed that Auckland officers had seized or found about 700 firearms during the programme's first year.
But new figures obtained by the Herald under the Official Information Act show that figure has jumped to nearly 3000 two years on - stark evidence of the proliferation of deadly weapons across Tamaki Makaurau - much of it linked to gangs, illicit drugs and organised crime.
The Herald has been fighting for police to release this information for the past 22 months, arguing it was of significant public interest. The data was only handed over after intervention from the Ombudsman, who is set to rule on police's handling of the matter following a months-long investigation.
The figures show that since December 2018, police have encountered more than 10,000 firearms nationally - about 10 every day.
Nearly 3000 firearms were discovered across Auckland - about 2.5 each day - with Counties Manukau accounting for nearly half those numbers.
The chilling arsenal included 595 rifles, 511 shotguns, 431 pistols, 392 air guns, 308 "unknown", 193 imitation firearms, 85 prohibited firearms and eight restricted weapons.
Most were seized, with a smaller proportion recovered, not found or surrendered.
The weapons are separate to the thousands handed in during the Government's firearms buy-back scheme after the Christchurch terror attacks in which 51 Muslim worshippers were murdered.
The Gun Safe figures show that nationally police attended more than 150 callouts where a firearm was discharged and at least one person was injured - 72 of them in Auckland, with 42 in Counties Manukau.
Thirty events nationwide resulted in at least one death - 16 of them in Auckland, including nine in Counties Manukau.
However, police caution that the actual number of people injured or killed will be significantly higher, because the data does not capture every individual who was shot.
For instance, the figures don't include the March 15 mosque attack victims because an officer was not present when the shootings occurred, though the event is recorded elsewhere in the Gun Safe register.
The Herald reported last month that Auckland hospitals alone had treated nearly 350 patients for firearm injuries since January 2016 amid a worsening turf war between rival gangs.
Police Association president Chris Cahill said the risk of encountering firearms on routine jobs was now so high, many frontline cops wore their ballistic body armour full-time.
The Gun Safe figures backed anecdotal reports about what police were encountering on the streets. They showed gang members had ready access to firearms and were more willing to use them.
"The criminals seem to have an endless supply."
The rise of Australia's 501 deportees and associated gang wars over the illegal drug trade had accelerated the problem, Cahill said.
New Zealand's high rates of gun ownership was also a factor. More work was needed to identify how the guns were falling into criminals' hands - whether they were being stolen, sold on the "grey market" through unscrupulous firearms owners, or obtained through illegal importation.
Cahill said the gun registry would help track weapons and he welcomed the recent establishment of a firearms investigation unit in Auckland. But more resources were needed to counter organised crime.
The firearms figures would fuel calls for police to be routinely armed, which was now supported by nearly three-quarters of sworn officers, Cahill said.
"They're the people on the frontline who know what they're confronting."
Goff said he applauded police efforts to crack down on organised crime and drug trafficking, the seizure of lethal weapons and forfeiture of more than $1 billion in assets under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
But the growing number of illegal firearms seized by police "strongly indicates the increased propensity of criminals to acquire and use such weapons".
"I meet regularly with the police and I am in contact with the Minister of Police to emphasise the strong need for action in Auckland to deal with drug trafficking and organised crime.
"This situation has got worse with new gangs infiltrating New Zealand with 501 deportees from Australia.
"Any use of a firearm in committing crime indicates a readiness by the perpetrator to inflict serious and fatal injuries. I believe that the full sanction of the law should be applied to those convicted of such offences."
Goff supported legislative changes called for by police to make gun ownership more transparent and traceable.
Police said the organisation recognised the risks illegally held firearms posed to the public and police staff, and had measures in place to calculate and clamp down on this offending.
Police were also aware of the prevalence of firearms being used within certain groups and worked hard to hold offenders to account.
They highlighted the launch of Operation Tauwhiro in February last year, which had already resulted in the seizure of 1369 firearms, millions in cash and 1161 arrests.
"Our frontline officers operate in a dynamic and unpredictable environment and are often called to put themselves in harm's way to keep the public safe. This is why we developed a new tactical response model.
"This model enhances frontline training; improves frontline access to specialist capability, and strengthens risk-based deployment and technology. With the enhancements in this model, NZ Police remains committed to be a generally unarmed police service."
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