One hundred guns have been handed in to police across the Hunter Region during a statewide firearms amnesty that netted more than 8000 weapons.
Police released results on Thursday, which showed 43 firearms were handed in at Central Hunter (Maitland-Cessnock), 26 in Hunter Valley (Singleton-Upper Hunter), 20 at Newcastle City and 11 at Port Stephens police districts.
Read more: Up in arms: 500 guns stolen in the Hunter
“There has been a really strong response across the state and it is encouraging to see community members recognising the danger posed by these weapons and doing the right thing by handing them in or having them registered,” Deputy Commissioner Jeff Loy said.
Read more: More than 100 guns off the streets
“Too many firearms are not stored correctly which makes them an easy target for thieves, particularly in regional and rural properties.”
The amnesty period allowed people with unregistered or illegal guns, firearm parts or ammunition to hand them in without facing a penalty.
Murray River police district, in the state’s south, had NSW’s highest number of guns handed in, with 128 surrendered.
