Gun numbers mystery in Bay

Police seized 112 firearms nationally from people involved in the drug trade.

More than 15,300 people in the Eastern District have gun licences, but the actual number of firearms in local circulation is a mystery.

Gun ownership has been in the spotlight after thieves made off with a huge stash of weapons from an Auckland house last month, including semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and 5000 rounds of ammunition.

Days later, two shotguns were stolen in a daylight burglary in Dargaville.

And police seized 112 firearms nationally from people involved in the drug trade as part of their annual cannabis operation.

Police figures show 15,273 people hold firearm licences in the Eastern police district, which includes Hawke's Bay.

But there is no way of knowing how many guns are in circulation.

Hawkes Bay Rifle Club secretary Les Marshall said the firearms licensing process was thorough.

"You have to show that you're a fit person, you have to have referees, and you have to prove that your firearms are in a safe environment, they need to be protected in gun safes."

However, it was a shame guns no longer had to be registered like they were in the 1960s and 1970s, he said.

"That dropped by the wayside because of the man hours involved. [Now] if [registered] firearms go missing, they know where they came from."

The number of weapons offences in the district has fluctuated over the last three years, with 497 offences in 2011 dropping to 453 the following year, but rising to 478 in 2013.

Nationally, police processed nearly 14,700 applications for firearms licences in the year to June 30, 2013, bringing the total number of current licence holders to 242,158 as of May 28 this year.

While there are 1.5 million firearms in circulation, firearm-related offending makes up only about 1.4 per cent of crime.

More than 5670 weapons and explosives offences were committed in the year to December - down from 6063 the previous year and 6362 in 2011.

Police said the drop could be partly attributed to a "robust" vetting regime for firearms licences.

"As part of the process, the applicant must provide two character referees, one of whom must be a spouse, partner or relative, who will be interviewed separately," a police spokesman said.

Applicants and licence holders had to have "secure" storage for firearms - without which they could not hold a licence.

Firearms in New Zealand are licensed by owners, not by the number of guns, so there's no way to know how many guns a licence-holder owns.

Under New Zealand law, anyone 16 and over can apply for a standard firearms licence, which allows them to use sporting type rifles and shotguns, and some air rifles.

Anyone wanting to use a pistol, semiautomatic rifle, or other restricted weapons must apply for a special addition to their licence.

Standard licences cost $126.50.