Thread: Firearm licencing

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

I just had a call from one of my referees (for renewal)... The FAO did a phone interview with her back in late January and today have repeated the interview face to face. Same questions, same answers. The assessor said it was something to do with new regs; and was very pissed off. I'd say it was because it had been a phone rather than personal interview. Weird thing is that they did a personal interview for my next of kin in Wellington and a phone interview for the local one!

New regs also mean that they have to interview everyone over 16 that live at the same property, not just referees. Had to do a three of my flatmates.

Originally Posted by NZ32

New regs also mean that they have to interview everyone over 16 that live at the same property, not just referees. Had to do a three of my flatmates.

Unless those people are your referees', they can't be interviewed. It has nothing to do with them

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

I think by and large that those responsible for the licensing system are doing the best they can with the limited resources available to them. There's a lot more to issuing a firearms licence than a driver's licence or passport. Referee face to face interviews, security check, travel costs etc. If you change your address then someone is sent out to check your security at no charge to the licence holder. Someone has to be paid for doing that plus vehicle running costs and administration costs.

If the licence fee was to be doubled, as an example, then no doubt more people could be employed to help speed up the process. At present, $126.50 for a ten year standard A- cat licence is pretty damn cheap at $12.65 a year or under .25c per week.

I was led to believe that police divert around half of the income from licensing into the general fund so it is not currently user pays?

Another vote here for getting plod out of administering the licensing system - they are flat out terrible at it

Originally Posted by 308

I was led to believe that police divert around half of the income from licensing into the general fund so it is not currently user pays?

Another vote here for getting plod out of administering the licensing system - they are flat out terrible at it

Don't know how true that is. I was told some time back that it costs the police nearly $400 to process a standard firearms licence. We pay $126.50 now and it's been that way since GST was increased quite a few years back. If licensing was to be done by a private enterprise then you can guarantee it will cost us at the very least double what we pay now. Many may be willing to pay that and surely many would not and they then may just use a firearm illegally. Obviously, the more licence holders there are the better it is for all of us.

Also, I'm sure there are thousands of firearms licences that are processed as quickly as they can be and you never hear about it. We tend to hear about the ones which aren't because that's the nature of the internet and fair enough too.

bro in law did all his stuff and the test just before lockdown.
No contact has been made to his referees/spouse for the interviews and safe inspection yet. Doesn't look like it will be for a while now.

Originally Posted by cambo

Unless those people are your referees', they can't be interviewed. It has nothing to do with them

That is what I thought but orders from above. He even rang to confirm that he had to do it....

Originally Posted by NZ32

New regs also mean that they have to interview everyone over 16 that live at the same property, not just referees. Had to do a three of my flatmates.

Policy not regs. I dont think it's in the act (anybody confirm this?) Which would mean it's the same old making shit up routine if it's not in the act.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Don't know how true that is. I was told some time back that it costs the police nearly $400 to process a standard firearms licence. We pay $126.50 now and it's been that way since GST was increased quite a few years back. If licensing was to be done by a private enterprise then you can guarantee it will cost us at the very least double what we pay now. Many may be willing to pay that and surely many would not and they then may just use a firearm illegally. Obviously, the more licence holders there are the better it is for all of us.

Also, I'm sure there are thousands of firearms licences that are processed as quickly as they can be and you never hear about it. We tend to hear about the ones which aren't because that's the nature of the internet and fair enough too.

Mike loader did oia requests on it. Up to 50% is diverted elsewhere. It was done by district.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Don't know how true that is. I was told some time back that it costs the police nearly $400 to process a standard firearms licence. We pay $126.50 now and it's been that way since GST was increased quite a few years back. If licensing was to be done by a private enterprise then you can guarantee it will cost us at the very least double what we pay now. Many may be willing to pay that and surely many would not and they then may just use a firearm illegally. Obviously, the more licence holders there are the better it is for all of us.

Also, I'm sure there are thousands of firearms licences that are processed as quickly as they can be and you never hear about it. We tend to hear about the ones which aren't because that's the nature of the internet and fair enough too.

Maybe that is true but in the last 3 years I have-

Waited since Dec 2019 for an endorsement applic to be processed - still waiting
Had wrong info on which B-cats I hold EVERY inspection
Been called by some popo fuckwit asking if I had handed in my AR's in the confiscation - I said "What do your records show?" He said it must be a different department, I said there is only one department
-this after I had expressly gone to my local FO and got a printout to prove it

I now will no longer deal with the popo by phone as there is no record and they have consistently been spasmodic wankstains

I now have zero respect for the police and will offer them zero cooperation in all future dealings

Other people may well have great experiences with them

I was interveiwed yesterday as referee for a forum member (having to travel out of town for same at police insistence .I was asked about their health and the vettor was told the following "Icasnnot and will not make any factual statement as i do not and cannot access their private health information .Police do have powers under the privacy act to do so if they require .therefore this is opinion only.she wrote this down as she was unaware of this! the style of questioning -very leading -very enticing social worker style.her constant references to mental health started to piss me off a little so i bluntly informed her of my extensive career there and if i said i had no qualms she need go no further.
bizzarely this took place in a public carpark,as people walked by and to and from public toilets ,as a car bonnet seperated us!.
At the conclusion I told her i considered the form very poorly constructed,she admitted it was and apparently new ones are under construction.
Rather pointedly she asked re my heatlh -told her id suffered from depression but my GP was happy to sign me off as a reliable firearms owner (x2) which I found rather bizzare and in hindsight was none of her business as Im not the person under scrutiny for licence renewal.
The quality of vettor training IMO is not up to par.

this and other anecdotal ,plus written evidence suggests to me Police HQ are in a real post tarrant "we must not do that again/steel ourselves for a right arsekicking by the royal commision " mindset

Originally Posted by 308

Maybe that is true but in the last 3 years I have-

Waited since Dec 2019 for an endorsement applic to be processed - still waiting
Had wrong info on which B-cats I hold EVERY inspection
Been called by some popo fuckwit asking if I had handed in my AR's in the confiscation - I said "What do your records show?" He said it must be a different department, I said there is only one department
-this after I had expressly gone to my local FO and got a printout to prove it

I now will no longer deal with the popo by phone as there is no record and they have consistently been spasmodic wankstains

I now have zero respect for the police and will offer them zero cooperation in all future dealings

Other people may well have great experiences with them

I can well understand your annoyance at that.

I've had poor service from many businesses/departments private and government. Some people are good at their jobs and some aren't and even the good ones make mistakes occasionally; they just make less of them. I've had particularly inept service from NZ Customs, certain courier companies and numerous other private businesses.

I think in some part most of us slightly and in some cases completely resent any form of authority. That's why the police in particular seem to get a bad rap from some members on here.

When dealing with people there's always going to be stuff ups and stupidity cropping up from time to time just to ruin your day. It's just the nature of human beings and as Einstein said, "two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the former".

FYI the card maker isn’t making new cards until end July earliest.
So don’t expect it if your waiting

Originally Posted by Freezer

FYI the card maker isn’t making new cards until end July earliest.
So don’t expect it if your waiting

Typical, you know if there is any particular reason for not making new cards at the moment?

Hey, have one of mine - I've got two
I know a guy with 5 licenses

The police really don't have a left tit of a clue what they are doing here

Interesting; a few of days ago had the firearm licencing dept ring to ask how long ago my last long term relationship was. I told them 6-years. They said that if it was 5-years or under ago they now have to contact your ex to speak to them too..... When she rang me she said that the licence will be through soon