Acting Senior Sergeant Paul Bruders and Senior Constable Travis Cusack with some of the prohibited weapons seized by Pakenham Police recently. 37006 Picture: Melissa Grant
By Jade Lawton
KNIVES, firearms, swords and other illegal weapons can be surrendered without penalty at Pakenham Police Station from today (Thursday).
Victoria Police have declared October a weapons amnesty month in an effort to curb an increase in firearms and weapon-based violence.
In Cardinia, 149 weapon offences were recorded in the 2008-09 financial year, almost double the 78 offences recorded the previous year.
Last month, police seized a samurai sword with a blade of more than 60 centimetres after searching a car in Pakenham.
Investigations are continuing into the incident, but those found in possession of prohibited weapons can face fines, court action or imprisonment.
Superintendent Wayne Ashley said police stations across the state would accept weapons with no questions asked.
“We really want to nip it in the bud. It’s not cool, it’s not appropriate, and people think you can use a weapon as a symbol or method of defence when really that weapon can be turned on the individual and used as an offensive weapon. We don’t want that opportunity to occur,” Superintendent Ashley said.
Acting Senior Sergeant Paul Bruders, of Pakenham police, said any prohibited weapons – including unregistered firearms, knives, swords and knuckledusters – should be surrendered at the station.
Acting Sen Sgt Bruders, who recommended that people call ahead when dropping off a weapon, urged people to leave the item in their car and alert the front desk so that police could collect it.
“The main thing we want to do is get them off the street,” Acting Sen Sgt Bruders said.
“People sometimes have these things as collector’s items, but they can get in the wrong hands. When they hand them in, they are not committing an offence,” he said.
Police will destroy the weapons collected during weapons amnesty month.
Acting Sen Sgt Bruders said the increase in weapons offences in Cardinia, while disturbing, could also be attributed to pro-active policing.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean they are being used, but clearly there are more out there,” he said.
Contact Pakenham Police Station on 5945 2500.
