State and Civil Society Working in Collaboration for Firearm Safety Tena tatou katoa. My name is Mike Spray. I am the Firearms and Hunts Programme Manager for the NZ Mountain Safety Council. It is my pleasure to share with you the role my organization and I play in the promotion of firearms safety in NZ along slide Police. Kia Ora te whanau. I’m Joe Green, the Police Inspector responsible for the national coordination of arms control in New Zealand. I have been a police officer for just over 22 years, starting as a constable working on patrol at Wellington. I have been in my current position for just over 7 years. New Zealand Police is proud to be a member of the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council, and to work in a strategic partnership that promotes both the safe use and control of firearms. Police values MSC for its independent advice, and for the safety instruction it provides to firearms users at the grass roots. presented by Inspector Joe Green & Mike Spray

Mountain Safety Council Firearms Instructors Arms Act 1983 Programme Manager, Firearms and Hunts Manager, Licensing and Vetting This diagram represents the overall relationship between NZ Mountain Safety Council and the Police. Both organisations are subject to legislation, namely the Arms Act 1983. On a day to day basis I, as manager Licensing and Vetting, and Mike, as Programme Manager Firearms and HUNTS work together to achieve the aims of our respective organisations. Section 14 of the Arms regulations 1992 requires that every applicant for a firearms licence undergo safety training and testing. Arms Officers and Mountain Safety Council Firearms Instructors work at local level to implement the requirements of section 14. Mountain Safety Council Firearms Instructors Arms Officers

To promote the safe use and control of firearms and other weapons Purpose of the Act To promote the safe use and control of firearms and other weapons The purpose of the Arms Act 1983 is to promote both the safe use and control of firearms and other weapons. While both objectives are important, more importantly; this purpose is not in dispute – shooters and police are in general agreement that safe use and control are goals worthy of aspiring to – we may not always agree how these are achieved, but they do form the basis for action.

reducing the incidence and effects of crime; New Zealand Police MISSION STATEMENT reducing the incidence and effects of crime; detecting and apprehending offenders; maintaining law and order and enhancing public safety. This is the mission of the New Zealand Police. The policing philosophy in New Zealand is one of community oriented policing. Using a problem oriented intel based approach we aim to reduce both crime and crashes by working together with the community.

New Zealand Mountain Safety Council MISSION STATEMENT enable people to enjoy their recreation safely in the outdoors foster positive community support for outdoor safety promote the development and maintenance of national outdoor safety standards for land-based activities The NZ Mountain Safety Council was formed in 1965 in response to an increasing number of accidents in our bush, rivers and mountains. Mountain Safety consists of representatives of 17 member organizations. It operates from 27 branches throughout the north and south islands and these branches are supported by the a National Office in Wellington. Over 1500 volunteer instructors provide safety training in a variety of outdoor disciplines. These disciplines include: Firearms and hunter training Bush and outdoor leadership Abseil, Alpine and avalanche Outdoor First Aid and Risk management Today our key goals are to: undertake research and develop standards for safety produce key outdoor safety information publicise the outdoor safety message and deliver training by skilled instructors

Manager, Licensing and Vetting National Co-Ordination of the implementation of the Arms Act 1983 and the Arms Regulations 1992 As Manager Licensing and Vetting I provide national coordination of arms control. This includes close liaison with the Mountain Safety Council, shooter organisations and others with an interest in arms control. It also includes providing policy and at times operational advice to District and Area Commanders, Arms Officers and operational police. This position is the link between legislation, policy and practice (operations). The key policy document for arms control is the Arms Manual 2002.\ The key document for communicating firearm safety information to licence holders and the public is the Arms Code; produced jointly by the Police and Mountain Safety Council.

Programme Manager, Firearms and Hunts To Provide Information and advise to Police and Public at a national and local level for firearm safety, including the training and testing of firearm licence applicants My primary role as Programme Manager is to provide support to the 440 firearms instructors and 19 HUNTS Instructors throughout the country. From my office we provide information to police and the public, such as firearm incident statistics and research outcomes. The firearms programme has an advisory committee lead by, this seminars chair, Dr Jack McConchie. This committee provides advise to police on firearms training and testing, arms legislation, content of the police range manual and the arms code. Joe and I, Police and Mountain Safety have worked in partnership on many joint projects. These have included: the ‘On Target’ DVD promoting hunter training. annual firearm and hunter safety advertising campaigns and we, along side COLFO, have planned and organised this international firearm safety seminar.

Every Applicant for a Firearms Licence shall; Regulation 14 Every Applicant for a Firearms Licence shall; Undergo a course of Training Pass a theoretical test administered by police or persons approved by police Regulation 14 of the Arms Regulations 1992 requires that every applicant for a firearms licence undergo a course of training, which is designed to teach the applicant firearms safety, and which is conducted by a member of police or a person approved for that purpose by a member of police. The applicant is also required to pass a theoretical test. This test is required to be conducted by police or a person approved for that purpose by a member of police. The only persons approved under Regulation 14 to carry out this training and testing are NZ Mountain Safety Council Firearm Safety Instructors.

Based at Larger Police Stations Arms Officers Based at Larger Police Stations Responsible for local administration of Arms Act and Regulations, including the licensing process First point of Public Contact There are about 40 dedicated Arms Officers based at larger police stations. They are responsible for the arms control regime locally, including licensing. They take responsibility for liaising with Mountain Safety Council instructors and shooting organisations, and monitoring endorsement holders (those permitted to possess pistols, military style semi automatics and restricted weapons). They also administer the import process in District. Arms Officers prepare files for the revocation of firearms licenses. They also secure firearms surrendered for safe keeping or seized following offending. There are about 370 additional people involved in arms control – these tend to be watch house assistants at smaller police stations.

Firearms Safety Instructors Community Based Volunteers Warranted by Mountain Safety Council The only people approved by Police to deliver training and testing under Regulation 14 440 Instructors trained and tested 6,300 new license applicants in the 2004 calendar year There are 440 warranted Mountain Safety Council Firearms Safety Instructors working from 142 locations throughout new Zealand. These instructors are community based volunteers and are the only people approved by police to deliver training and testing under Regulation 14. Instructors are warranted after a being selected because of their existing firearms safety expertise. For example, members of shooting clubs or professionals already working with firearms. Once instructors are warranted, they are taken under the wing of an experienced instructor and trained in the delivery of firearms training and testing for licence applicants. Firearms Instructors can also gain nationally recognised firearms qualifications through the NZ qualification authority. The co-ordination of training and testing within branches is conducted by a firearms co-ordinator appointed by the branch committee and programme manager The training of licence applicants is about a 3 hour presentation and includes theory, demonstration and handling, but not firing, of a variety of firearm actions. Many firearm instructors throughout the country also provide firearms training and range activities for a variety of other groups such as schools and shooting clubs. Another group of 150 MSC Firearms Advisors support the firearms instructors, offering their assistance and expertise to the firearms programme. In 2004 MSC instructors trained and tested 6300 new licence applicants. The average over the past few years is 5,500 per year.

Working Together Police and MSC work together at all levels. Police are a member organisation of MSC and are represented at Council and Executive level. The Police Manager of Licensing and Vetting and the Firearms Programme Manager are in touch daily to manage and provide support for the firearm training and testing programme and the licensing of firearms applicants. Working together on various firearm safety projects is ongoing. Firearms Safety Instructors and Police Arms officers work together at a regional level to provide the training, testing, vetting and new licenses to applicants. The most important thing, in our view, is that the real strength of the relationship between our two organisations is people working together toward a common goal – best summarised as promoting both the safe use and control of firearms. No reira. Ki nga tangata katoa – tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa. (to every one here – greetings).

(Love, faith and peace to us all) Concluding waiata Te aroha e Te whakapono Me te rangimarie Tatou tatou e (Love, faith and peace to us all)