Gun owners should include their weapons in future estate planning to make it easier for those they leave behind, police say.
The Queensland Police Service wants owners to include plans for their weapons in their last will and testament.
And they are running Operation Whiskey Firestorm to reduce thefts and increase awareness of legal storage requirements after 2024 statistics revealed 1055 gun licenses were revoked with over 3290 offences involving guns such as attempted murder, assault, robbery and break-ins.
Operation co-ordinator Detective Superintendent George Marchesini says the police is concerned about the number of reported cases of guns from deceased estates not stored properly this year.
He noted that grieving family are often not registered gun holders for weapons that, in some instances, may be stolen.
“Losing a loved one is an already emotional and stressful period to navigate, which is why ensuring future plans are put in place should be a priority for licensed firearms owners,” he says.
“We know when firearms are not considered in estate planning, they are susceptible to becoming lost or even stolen …”
GUN LEGACY PROBLEMS
He says in one case this year, one bereaved relative who did not know how to legally store a gun disassembled it and stored the parts, and ammunition, around the house.
“We’ve also had incidents when firearms were stolen from deceased estates, including from a property which had not been lived in since the passing of the occupants.”
Detective Superintendent Marchesini said many Queenslanders are unaware they can hand in guns to their local police station without reprimand under The Permanent National Firearm Amnesty.
As part of Operation Whiskey Firestorm, officers are promoting the voluntary surrender of unregistered weapons under the amnesty.
Police say that since the operation started on January 24, 668 firearms were surrendered to police stations or dealers who are part of the amnesty.
If licensed owners want to keep their weapons in the family, family members need to register for the same category of weapons licence to streamline the transfer process, police say.
“To safeguard the community and reduce stress and costs on grieving ones, we ask all firearms holders and their families to familiarise themselves with the processes involved with passing on firearms and to ensure information is up to date on who will dispose of or assume responsibility for their firearms,” Detective Marchesini said.
“We want to remind all licensed firearms owners that family members who are not appropriately licensed cannot take responsibility for firearms that are left behind.”
The QPS is encouraging anyone aware of unsafe firearm storage to report it via Police Link (131 444) or Crime Stoppers (1800 333 000).
For further information on how to surrender an unregistered firearm, visit police.qld.gov.au/units/weapons-licensing.
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