Police ask residents for firearm tip-offs

Rockingham police are urging residents to dob in owners of illegal guns in the final days of a Statewide campaign.

Sergeant Lance Sloan said he had noticed an increase in unlicensed firearms connected to crimes in the region in the past year.

He said typically those guns were rifles or hand guns relating to drug crimes.

Sgt Sloan said he understood why people might be nervous to report such incidents, but urged people to follow through on the tip-off because all evidence helped build a case against those possessing such weapons illegally.

“We will accept any information given to us,” he said.

“Anonymous is okay, but we would rather someone gave their name because (the accusation) becomes more verifiable and more legitimate and helps when weighing up the evidence because we don’t take walking into private property lightly.”

Last month, the Australian Crime Commission said it estimated at least 250,000 illegal guns were in circulation around the country.