Thread: Stolen firearms found

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

At some point they must have had legitimate owners?

Oh yeah they do, but what happens if they were taken from someone who wasn't suppose to possess them, don't see them rocking up to the cop shop.

It is a pity they no longer record owners and firearms/serial numbers, I'm sure they do for E cat stuff don't they ?

Believe me , we are way better with the current system .
Since there is a compulsory register in France(1992), more and more restrictions are put in place ( on average every 5 to 7 years) and the little freedom that legitimate hunters and shooters had is thinning down quickly with no effects on the criminal activities with illegal guns.
You can think otherwise but you are probably living in dreamworld, I have seen and lived the reality of it!

The only thing the police is likely to trace is the pistol, assuming it was once on the b-cat register.

A cat firearms do not have their details recorded, why ? Coz the vast majority of owners have a hissyfit fit when the word firearms register even gets mentioned... How the fcuk do you expect the police to trace stuff when you make it impossible for them to do so ?

All new firearms have serials recorded, both into the country, and when sold from the retailer.
If the owner of stolen arm, jo blogs, directed ploice to that retailer, the numbers would be there.
Alas too many onsold, and modded arms are not photod and recorded, by the owner. Also how many second hand arms have been been dealt on the likes of tardme, and not recorded by the sellar and new owner.
I believe all arms should be recorded and photod, as this would help regain ownership.
I know people are paranoid about these details being used as a shopping list, but if it is kept quiet and safe, there is no real reason not to do it.
My2cents

Originally Posted by ebf

The only thing the police is likely to trace is the pistol, assuming it was once on the b-cat register.

A cat firearms do not have their details recorded, why ? Coz the vast majority of owners have a hissyfit fit when the word firearms register even gets mentioned... How the fcuk do you expect the police to trace stuff when you make it impossible for them to do so ?

A responsible owner would record their serial numbers (no need to pass them onto the police if you don't want to)

Then, when they get nicked you can tell the police exactly what's missing. Unless they weren't reported missing in the first place, which you are obliged to

This is of course if said stolen firearms still had their serial numbers intact.
Firearm registries should be expanded to control files and grinders too.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Lazy cunts wouldn't even look at the crime scene when my jet ski was stolen. Was asked if it was insured and when I said no the lady on the phone basicly said we aint even looking for it then.... so yea you're right some history there G A.

Yep had the same with a motor bike, car broken into (three fucking times), helping them with stolen chainsaws, ute fully spray painted (pink dazzle) by some boys who we found through friends of friends.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Lazy cunts wouldn't even look at the crime scene when my jet ski was stolen. Was asked if it was insured and when I said no the lady on the phone basicly said we aint even looking for it then.... so yea you're right some history there G A.

Same thing here. They sent me a letter saying there wasn't enough evidence to continue the case.
so I rang them and said wtf that's because you never turned up to investigate it!

then the subject turns to so I will have to catch my own criminal will I?
No sir, you can't hold someone against there will.

Useless

Originally Posted by Comfortably_Numb

All new firearms have serials recorded, both into the country, and when sold from the retailer.
If the owner of stolen arm, jo blogs, directed ploice to that retailer, the numbers would be there.
Alas too many onsold, and modded arms are not photod and recorded, by the owner. Also how many second hand arms have been been dealt on the likes of tardme, and not recorded by the sellar and new owner.
I believe all arms should be recorded and photod, as this would help regain ownership.
I know people are paranoid about these details being used as a shopping list, but if it is kept quiet and safe, there is no real reason not to do it.
My2cents

This " shopping list" unfortunately is what has happened across the ditch in Tasmania: someone sold or "lost" a copy of the registry and the crims know all about who owns what, where, what job he has etc etc.
We dont need anyone else knowing what we own. I think our system is by far a world leader in both its' simplicity and its' operation.
I think it is wise to keep at least a record of your firearms yourself , to possibly help catch some crims, but as far as recovering the guns?
Any guns most blokes here own would be chopped, ground up and knackered by the time the plods get around to handing them back, so who would want them back anyway? They would be useless by then to a sportsman.

had a workmate who incidentally holds licence for nearly all categories tell me the tale of the coppers visiting him recently doing a security inspection.half of what he had in stock ,they had no record of.He patiently explained to them he'd had most of this for 5+yrs and had been scrupulous in ensuring he followed every regulation to the letter!
despite G's repeated enquiries they still cannot come up with an answeras to where the lists hes provided got to apart from an embarrassed request he provide a new list .
Given what he has It scares the shit out of him that someone could be so careless with paperwork.
And they want to revamp the bloody arms act -god give me bloody strength.
Inspector Joe green the Police HQ firearms head honcho needs to get out and boot a few sloppy arses me thinks!

The police can't even keep up with the details of the endorsed licence holders firearms-they have NEVER had my list correct, and I have been able to prove that the fault is a there end every time.
How on earth could they hope to keep up with everybody's A cat stuff?

I keep a list of all my serial numbers for all firearms and have it backed up several places, including with my insurance company.

If the police can return recovered bikes if the serial number is given to them then I'm sure the same checking process could be done with firearms.

Police only have a certain amount of funding, which has been frozen for the past 5? years. Because of this they don't have enough officers to attend every crime scene so they must be triaged over the phone. If it's clear that there is not going to be any evidence left at the scene then it won't be attended as there simply isn't the manpower.

Whinging about the Police over a forum will do nothing, putting in formal complaints will, which I actively encourage people to do when they are dis-satisfied with the service.

Most people have no idea how hard it is to solve a burglary and just what is needed to bring them before the courts and how many man hours it takes.

Nobody is more frustrated than the Police Officers, trust me.

A simple firearms register would help no end with a lot of investigations, especially linking people to burglaries and returning stolen firearms. I've taken a fair few burglary reports and I can't remember a single one where the firearm serial numbers have been provided, let alone TVs etc. I don't why people are so anti it, the government isn't after your guns and Police have nothing against firearm users, if a cheap efficient system was viable then I'd be all for it. I've seen a few pistols returned to the owners and offenders charged with burglary because they were able to be traced back through the b-cat system.

Shopping list theory is rubbish, there are much easier ways to find out where guns are without hacking a computer system.

Or just record the numbers yourself and provide them when needed.

Well put

A bit of man power could be directed away from traffic IMO

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

A bit of man power could be directed away from traffic IMO

I better not put my opinion down on it.

Since the merging of the MOT and Police, Police have to provide a certain amount of road policing or they lose that portion of the funding. A lot of the funding for the booze bus is provided by ACC for example, can't take that funding and give it to the Burglary Squad.