“It is a condition of all firearm licences that the holder of the licence must permit a member of police to inspect their storage arrangements at any reasonable time.”
So seems clear enough but im interested to hear how “any reasonable time” is interpreted. If you’re 3 sheets to the wind and they turn up unannounced are you within your rights to refuse? Or perhaps your about to sit down for a nice lamb roast… Is there a genuine scenario where you can refuse an unannounced visit without getting VicPol miffed? Asking as a mate had an unannounced visit today after recently installing a gunsafe and transferring his nominated storage address from my place to his
I’d say a refusal to open your safe because you have had a few should be fair enough, legally I don’t know. The inspections I’ve had were all out of the blue in the early evening, but I have heard of them turning up at 1030 pm.
I’m never really happy to see them. Being in suburbia having them park out the front and go inside for 30 minutes gets the neighbors interested. Be much better if they did inspections in plainclothes if you ask me.
You lot have some strange rules.
Over in God’s country the boys in blue have to ring you up and make an appointment for a time that suits you.
It has to be a reasonable reason to put them off for a period of time like a few weeks but in general they are pretty flexible.
If they do roll up unannounced you have a right to refuse them.
I live in rural Victoria and whilst I’ve never had an inspection, I know of someone around here who had just got the kids in the car and was about to head out when to police turned up for an inspection, he explained it wasn’t a good time and they said no worries and left without another word. They came back a few days later and did the inspection then.
Country cops do tend to be a bit more relaxed however.
I’ve had them be totally civilized and make a mutual appointment, to them saying " we haven’t been able to contact you " ( considering they have literally every detail i think that was a cop out excuse, pun intended ) abd rocking up at 9 am on boxing day with a chip on their shoulder
I am sure if it really looks as it is a bad time to them when they arrive they will return at a later date. But I think you would have to look flustered and in a hurry or preoccupied with something.
@Pogmahon in your mates case it is obvious that a change of address triggered that visit. I have been told by people doing their license test that this has been mentioned by the police officer doing the test.
Another trigger point seems to be the ten centre fires and or the 15 guns milestones.
) abd rocking up at 9 am on boxing day with a chip on their shoulder