But in 2020, gun crime hit a new peak. Cook is not convinced that firearms crime is rising as much as the numbers would suggest, instead saying police data collection had improved. But she admitted it was a possibility that there has been an increase in gun crime with the arrival of deportees from Australia. Sporting Shooters Association president Neville Dodd said there was no simple solution to the rise in firearms crime and in particular gang crime. Reducing gun crime would not come down to just the gun register, Ardern said.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 14, 2021 20:03 UTC