Lisa ”Lobsters with Mobsters” Neville decided to get in the Murdoch press to spruik the novel idea of banning criminals from owning firearms:
“Victorian bikies, gangsters and potential extremists will soon be subject to strict gun bans in a bid to combat organised crime. Victoria Police will have access to new firearm prohibition orders next month, giving them powers to search suspects without a warrant.
“We are giving Victoria Police unprecedented powers to stop these criminals – because we know they’re responsible for causing much of the high harm crime in Victoria,” a spokeswoman for Police Minister Lisa Neville said.
The orders will be used to combat crime targeting outlaw bikies, Middle Eastern crime gangs, violent criminals, radicals and young offenders involved in serious crime. The scheme aims to suppress the black market for illegal firearms, limiting their availability and breaking up criminal networks. Anyone associated with a person slapped with an order becomes a liability within the network.
“We pushed hard against the Liberals attempts to weaken these laws – while they tried to water down the legislation that police called for, we’re focused on disrupting organised crime in this state,” Ms Neville’s spokeswoman said.
The decision to issue an order will be determined by Victoria Police. Police have a list of about 3000 organised crime figures who will be subject to the ban, including former bikie Toby Mitchell, the Herald Sun reported on Friday.”
Just a standard Andrews’ government “feel good” media release.
Criminals are already disqualified from purchasing firearms legally and this is a complete waste of time and money. Look out crooks, Lisa is going to double ban you.
Less than 2% of all Firearm Prohibition Order related searches in NSW turned up evidence according to the NSW Ombudsman’s report:
Furthermore, the illegal firearm used to kill Curtis Cheng was supplied by a man who was already the subject of a Firearm Prohibition Order, a charge which the NSW DPP later dropped. If NSW courts are not going to enforce this do you really think Victorian courts, given their reputation, will?
Logical responses, like getting rid of the firearm registry, ending safe inspections for firearm owners, actual prison sentences for crooks, etc which would free up Police resources to concentrate on the bad guys seem to elude the Police Minister. I would like to also know how a Police Force that is entirely stretched thin and having to deal with a population increase of nearly 150,000 people every single year into Melbourne, is going to now have to administer, monitor and enforce an additional 3000+ firearm prohibition orders. It won’t be able to.
Victoria Police LRD also already has it’s hands full of incompetence at the moment. FPO’s are a waste of time. Not to mention the “guilt by association” implications that this legislation has for the greater public.
The best thing that Victorians can do to combat crime, is to vote this complete joke of a Police Minister out of her seat at the state election in November.
“giving them powers to search suspects without a warrant” and who isn’t a fan of having the Police stop and search the innocent without cause?
Regardless, this is a great move, now that it is illegal for criminals to have guns Victoria should be safe for all, as an aside and as part of the general “Law and Order” push, perhaps we could look into making burglary, assault and even murder illegal too?
But if that doesn’t work there is always this – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0cF2piwjYQ
one should research when getting payed to be smart ???