Operation Bluesun is an attempt by the Western Australian Police Force to mitigate firearms working their way into the black market and criminal hands.

The operation brief is as follows;

“The operation will focus on getting illicit firearms off the streets while also promoting the secure storage of licensed guns.”

So far, no information has been provided via Police as to the techniques being employed to get “illicit firearms off the streets”.  But lengthy dictation to those in the industry during a ‘Consultative’ meeting regarding Police Licensing Services push to have licensed firearm owners gun safes checked reveals that, once again, licensed firearm owners will be the ones inconvenienced.

Beaton Firearms inquired with Police Licensing Services trying to get a little more information about the recent thefts with the hope of giving our clients some methods of mitigation they could employ.  Do criminals steal firearms during the day or night?  Were the safes forced open or did the criminals find the keys?  Do they believe the thefts were targeted or random?  We received a reply of;

 “we are not going to advise anyone of the methods criminals take to steal firearms – read the news if you want more info”

A narrow minded and unhelpful response, but not surprising given the little trust licensed firearm owners are extended from the Western Australian Police Force.

Random checks are taking place, so we recommend all licensed firearm owners take the following precautions;

• Put your safe in an inconspicuous place, where it less likely to be seen from outside your house.
•  Try and place the safe in a position that the locks are against a surface to make it harder for a criminal to access them.
• Use 40mm washers under all the bolts fixing the safe to the building.  Inch and a half (the common size) will not suffice legally.
• Always make sure your ammunition in secured in a separate safe.  This safe can be inside the gun safe but must be opened with a different key.
• Do not store the gun safe keys anywhere in the house.  A criminal will wreck your house looking for them and will find them.
• If you are going to be away from home for a period of two weeks or longer, put your firearms into storage while you’re away.
• Make sure your gun safe meets the Western Australian Firearm Regulations (1974).  You will need to do this yourself.

We inquired with Police Licensing regarding some of the cheap ‘gunsafes’ that are being sold by certain hardware stores in Western Australia and their legality.  The reply we got was;

“We do not provide approvals nor inspect individual manufacturers or makes of firearm cabinets. Cabinets are approved on an individual basis per application using photos and description”

John Board | Sergeant | 6150

Licensing Services | Western Australia Police Force 

So, you would need to buy a safe, install the safe, apply for a license, be approved the license, be requested to provide photographs and take photographs before Police Licensing Services will tell you that your safe is insufficient.  Operation BlueSun is about ensuring every firearm owner has legal storage, but only when it is convenient to do so.  Let’s not forget that this is the same government department that invented the new Pistol Storage standards that every Western Australia firearm dealer must now meet as a condition of their license.

It appears that it’s all a tactic for the Western Australian Police Force to grasp back a little credibility with their Police Minister and the Western Australian public rather than a conceited effort to prevent crime.