NELSON, New Zealand – July 15, 2010 – Nelson’s top police officer does not believe frontline officers should be armed, but is backing calls for restrictions on the sale of high-powered air rifles.

Tasman district commander Superintendent Gary Knowles said frontline police in the district already had access to guns and all frontline officers had completed Taser training.

“We will obviously be reviewing our own procedures, but at this stage we will not be fully arming any of my staff.”

Police Minister Judith Collins has said that police should have easier access to guns by Christmas in the wake of the shooting of two Christchurch policemen this week.

Dog-handler Senior Constable Bruce Lamb, 50, and Constable Mitchel Alatalo, 30, were shot while carrying out routine inquiries in the suburb of Phillipstown.

Six-year-old police dog Gage was shot dead, and 34-year-old Christopher Graeme Smith faces serious charges, including attempted murder.

Mr Knowles said he agreed with Mrs Collins that police who needed access to guns should get it by Christmas.

He said the Tasman police district probably had more Tasers available to police officers per head of population due to the district’s geographical isolation.

It also probably had more officers trained in the use of Tasers, and he was also looking at extending the Taser training to other officers.

Since Tasers were rolled out to frontline staff earlier this year, no-one had been Tasered but staff had sought permission to deploy them.

He thought Tasers were a good middle-ground tactical option for police to have.

“At the end of the day you’ve got to really say to the public of New Zealand do you want to see police officers walking up and down the main street of Nelson carrying a gun? And I’d say nine times out of 10 they would say `No’.

“Ask them, `Do you think police should have firearms available?’ and they would say `Yes’,” he said.

However, Mr Knowles said he “absolutely” believed that laws should be tightened around the sale of high-powered air rifles.

“I think it’s a loophole in the law that needs to be closed. The days of Johnny having an air rifle and going down to the paddock and shooting a rabbit is over. A lot of these air rifles are just as powerful as any other firearm.

“Some of those slug guns are higher pressure and velocity than a .22, yet we have to have a licence for those.”

The government is looking at laws to restrict the sale of high-powered air rifles which are blamed for two recent Auckland slayings.

Undercover policeman Sergeant Don Wilkinson died in 2008 after he was shot with a FX Monsoon air gun.

The same weapon was used in the slaying of Keith Kahi, 44, in Botany Downs Auckland 10 days ago.

Anyone over the age of 18 can purchase an air rifle.

In Nelson, Hamills manager Brady Tasker said he and his staff used their discretion when selling air rifles and other equipment in the store and he had turned down people wishing to buy them. “There’s no requirement for me not to sell them to someone, but … if I don’t like them I won’t sell it.”

Mr Tasker said his Bridge St store sold a range of air rifles, which ranged in price from $70 to $1400.

He said he sold a lot of the high-powered air rifles to people living on lifestyle properties who did not have a gun licence but needed a gun to get rid of pests like rabbits and possums.

“I would say the majority of people that buy an air rifle are lifestylers that don’t have a gun license and fathers buying them for their kids who want to teach their kids how to handle guns responsibly.”

He said restricting their sale would only harm those who were responsible and used the rifles for legitimate purposes and he did not believe it would stop the weapons getting into the hands of criminals.

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