NCJ Number
226146
Date Published
2008
Length
55 pages
Annotation
This report provides data on firearm theft in Australia for the period of July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007.
Abstract
From July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007, 626 incidents of firearm theft were reported to police; a total of 1,526 firearms were stolen. Approximately half of the incidents resulted in the theft of a single firearm. The majority of the firearms stolen were registered, and the owner had an appropriate firearm license. Rifles composed 57 percent of the stolen firearms; shotguns, 25 percent; and handguns, 7 percent. The majority of thefts targeted private residential premises, and 1 in 10 thefts were from vehicles or business premises. Characteristics of firearm thefts reported in 2006-07 were similar to those that occurred in the preceding 2 years. A notable trend is the relative constancy in the number of firearms reported stolen, which has remained at a rate significantly lower than in the previous decade. The introduction of minimum storage and safety requirements for firearms when not in use or being carried is a likely factor in this decrease. Data show that many firearm owners are complying with these requirements. Approximately 4 in 10 firearm owners who reported a theft in 2006-07 had not complied with these requirements; almost 1 in 5 who had locked their firearms in an approved receptacle had not properly concealed the keys to the receptacle. A focus on various categories of firearm owners who seem particularly susceptible to theft might further reduce the rate of such thefts. 45 tables, 18 figures, 5 references, and appended additional tables and firearm classifications