Police build better picture of firearms with new system, Gun Safe

The system will keep both police and communities safer. Photo / File

A new system to record gun incidents with more detail to protect police and communities is progressing well.

The new system, Gun Safe, will record incidents and details whenever police encounter firearms.

Deputy Commissioner Michael Clement said although it was early stages with three months worth of information collected across the country, they were building a picture they needed.

"Staff are feeding into a central system to help tell the story behind each firearm they encounter in their communities.

"This is about safety; the safety of our police officers and the people in our communities.

"We want to know more about the misuse of firearms in our communities."

In the new process officers alert the communications team or district command centres when they encounter and seize a firearm, when they attend an incident where a firearm has or is suspected of being misused, or when one is presented at them.

The main point of difference to how gun incidents were previously recorded was it brought all the information together in one place.

Firearm details, information on the type of event around the misuse, the location it happened, and more of the story from the officers involved.

"It's about giving us richer information in a consistent way, in a central location."

Which would give police a broader understanding of the event and surrounding circumstances, Clement said.

"We already have firearms data, what we are doing is deepening the information we have around firearms encounters so we can have a better appreciation of what our staff face every day.

"The evidence base we develop over time will tell us more about the environment our staff work in.

"This will ensure, to the extent we can, that decisions are made in the best interests of keeping our staff and communities safe."