Lock up your guns: police

Rural South West residents are being urged by police to lock up their firearms as part of a national campaign aiming to take illegal guns out of the hands of criminals.

South West Police Insp. Pete Davies said farm owners and rural residents should keep their guns safely locked away when not being used.

He said rural properties were often the target of criminals looking for firearms.

“We know firearms are stolen from South West properties and sold on the black market,” Insp. Davies said.

“Some of these firearms are then used in violent crimes, including armed robberies.”

In the past year 459 firearms were stolen in WA.

In the past month 57 were stolen.

WA Police is taking part in the national Operation Unification to recover illegal firearms.

State Crime acting commander Tony Flack said the campaign targeted the threat of armed criminals.

According to the Australian Crime Commission, an estimated 1500 firearms are stolen each year.

As a result as many as 250,000 rifles and 10,000 hand guns could now be on the black market in Australia.

Insp. Davies said people were urged to call Crime Stoppers with any information to help remove dangerous weapons from the region’s homes and streets.

“We have seen the result of firearms in other countries and we don’t want the same results here,” he said.

Police will act on information provided by the public to identify, arrest and prosecute criminals in possession of illicit firearms.

In WA, the penalties for illegal gun possession or manufacture can range from two years, up to 14 years in jail.