Concerns of a spike in gun crime in Tasmania are unfounded, says the state's police minister. Source: AAP
THE Tasmanian government says it is winning the battle against gun crime, despite concerns about a spike in offences.
Police Minister David O'Byrne has showcased some of the 300 firearms handed in as part of an amnesty during the past two weekends.
Gun crimes have regularly made the headlines in the island state, with statistics pointing to Tasmania accounting for a sixth of firearm thefts nationally, despite having just two per cent of the population.
Mr O'Byrne has acknowledged concerns but says gun offences are not on an upward trend.
"Tasmania is one of the safest places in the country," he told reporters in Hobart.
"Whilst we have had, from time to time, a level of activity around firearm crime, we need to acknowledge that in the year to date there has only been an increase of four offences.
"Whilst any incident is serious that does not equate to a massive increase."
Tasmania has more than 120,000 registered firearms in a population of around 500,000.
More than 250 have been stolen in the past year.
The state's Liberal opposition has described gun crime as a "tsunami" and promised a new serious and organised crime squad if it win's the election, due in March.
Mr O'Byrne said guns were used in only two per cent of home robberies and Tasmania's crime rate had fallen overall by four per cent in the past year.
He said 7000 guns had been destroyed by police in the past five years.
The government recently added several gun offences to the criminal code, with penalties of up to 21 years' jail.
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