List of Victorians banned from owning guns grows to 650

Police this week revealed the fast growing list of shooters who have found themselves presented with Firearm Prohibition Orders after a series of raids in a regional city.

It is only three years since Victoria joined most other Australian states like New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland to add a new weapon to their enforcement armoury.

Victoria also now has an Illicit Firearms Unit, which took part in the Shepparton raids, the unit is a newly launched team based within Victoria Police's Crime Command which targets the manufacture, trafficking and use of illicit firearms across the state.

Police seized three illicit firearms and issued 14 Firearm Prohibition Orders this week and conducted a number of compliance checks as part of an operation targeting individuals with a "propensity for serious violence" in Shepparton.

People with a propensity for serious violence are the chief target of the firearms orders.

The orders give police power to "proactively respond to, disrupt and prevent firearm-related crime in Victoria and keep the community safe".

Once issued, the order remains in effect for 10 years for adults and five years for children between 14 and 17 years of age.

During that time, the individual is prohibited from acquiring, possessing, carrying or using any firearm or firearm related item such as ammunition.

They are also unable to enter a range of premises including firearms dealers, shooting ranges or firearms clubs.

Breaching the order by "acquiring, possessing, carrying or using a firearm" means facing a 10 year jail sentence.

The Illicit Firearms Unit's Det.-Insp. Mick Daly said taking a firearm out of the hands of a criminal, and making illicit firearms more difficult to obtain, are effective ways of preventing future offending and increasing public safety.

Violent offenders who pose a serious risk to the community will be targeted by police using a new tool designed to reduce firearms related crime.

The state's Firearms Act was changed in May 2019.

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The initial targets for the new firearm bans were "a range of known violent offenders including members of outlaw motorcycle gangs, Middle Eastern crime groups and other criminal groups".

Before implementing the scheme in Victoria, police researched similar legislation in NSW and South Australia, which have already been credited with reductions in organised crime related shootings and firearms related violence.

Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said he believed the new legislation would greatly assist police in targeting illicit firearms use.

"The Firearms Prohibition Orders are about making it harder for criminals to access, carry and store firearms or be in places where firearms are used or stored," he said.

"These orders are a real deterrent for offenders to have any contact with firearms as the penalties are severe, with 10 years imprisonment for anyone subject to an FPO possessing, carrying or using a firearm or related item.

"On their own, FPOs won't solve issues around firearms-related violence however we believe they are a really important new tool for us to have, and let us target those who present a public risk if they access firearms in a really strong way."