The Council of Licenced Firearms Owners (COLFO) is welcoming the establishment of a new Police anti-corruption unit, and says it shows Police are under pressure from sophisticated gangs.

The National Integrity Unit has been established to deter, prevent and detect corruption within New Zealand Police.

COLFO spokesperson Nicole McKee says:

“We applaud New Zealand Police for admitting that they have a problem with corruption.

“Now it’s time for the Government to take the proposed firearms register off the table. To establish a centralised database of firearms in an organisation grappling with corruption is dangerous and foolhardy.

“The recent imprisonment of a corrupt officer for selling Police database information to gangs must serve as a wake-up call.

“Just one corrupt cop accessing the firearms register could jeopardise the safety of the licenced firearms owning community.”

Last month COLFO released figures obtained through the Official Information Act showing that since 2011, Police recorded:

• 244 instances of unauthorised use of a database
• 244 breaches of privacy and confidentiality
• 138 dishonesty offences
• 21 cases of inappropriate or unlawful disclosure of information
• 9 instances of corruption

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