Tighter gun control?

Press, 7 January 1983, Page 4

Tighter gun control?

‘PA Auckland The Minister of Police. Mr Couch, yesterday pledged to seek tighter controls on firearms. His undertaking comes after six incidents in New Zealand involving firearms since New Year's Eve. including two in the last 36 hours/ Mr Couch said in Auckland yesterday that the present methods of registration did not seem to be working, even though New Zealand had much sterner restrictions than those in the United States. . “There is too much of this,’’ he said, referring to the number of armed holdups and other incidents involving guns. “If there is a possibility of

further tightening, we will look at it.” Mr Couch said he was not surprised at figures produced by the Mountain Safety Council in Wellington that showed there were about 1.5 million guns owned in New Zealand, about one for every adult. The council's: - firearms field officer, Mr Robert Badland, said that while it was difficult to get an accurate picture, art unofficial survey done for the police last year showed that there were about 762,000 registered sporting rifles- held by about 250,000; owners. ; ' About 1.5 million firearms were owned in total, including. shotguns, airguns, antiques, and sporting rifles.