4. Question No. 4—PoliceARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) to the Minister of PoliceQuestion No. 4—Police4. ARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa) to the Minister of Police: What steps has the Government taken to tackle violent offending and the use of illegal firearms?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Police): The firearms-related violence that we've seen in some our communities recently is unacceptable. The Government alongside police is sending a very clear message to the perpetrators of crime that unlawful activity and intimidation will not be tolerated and those involved will be held accountable for their actions. Police are already cracking down on illegal gang activity and recent Government actions such as the gang package that my colleague Kiritapu Allan and I announced recently and the passing of firearms prohibition orders will help them to get tougher on offending involving firearms drugs violence and intimidation.Arena Williams: What results has he seen from these operations specifically targeted at violent crime and how will this make New Zealanders safer?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Heaps but I'll highlight in particular Operation Cobalt which has resulted in 133 warranted searches being undertaken and 34 warrantless searches. That's involved 4605—Simeon Brown: Come on Chippy!SPEAKER: Order! Simeon Brown will stand withdraw and apologise and if he does it again he'll go. Take the mask off to do it.Simeon Brown: I stand withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: No the member will do it properly.Simeon Brown: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: Chris Hipkins please start again.Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As of 28 July through Operation Cobalt the police have conducted 133 warranted searches and 34 warrantless searches. They've filed 4605 criminal charges. They've issued 5682 infringement offence notices and seized 53 firearms. That expands on the progress they made through Operation Tauwhiro which saw 1804 firearms seized 55 kilos of methamphetamine seized 765 warrantless searches 1043 warranted searches and 1457 arrests being made. I congratulate the police on the work that they are doing to apply pressure to gangs and send a clear message that illegal behaviour like that will not be tolerated.Arena Williams: What additional tools have been provided to help police crack down on the illegal possession of firearms?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I welcome the fact that last night Parliament unanimously passed the Firearms Prohibition Orders Legislation Bill. People whose actions or behaviour have involved violent offending can now be stopped by a court from possessing using or being around guns and ammunition for 10 years. Owning a firearm is a privilege and firearms prohibition orders will mean that those people with a history of violence won't have access to the most dangerous of weapons. I'm very proud of the work that our Government has been doing to support the police to do their job and to make our community safer.Hon Mark Mitchell: Why did the Minister not include additional warrantless search powers as requested by the New Zealand Police Association who said that without those powers these firearms prohibition orders are basically meaningless?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Where somebody has a firearms prohibition order against them it can be in place for up to 10 years and the notion that a person subject to a firearms prohibition order or anybody who they are with—for example if they are in a vehicle with someone—could be subject to a warrantless search for up to 10 years in an unlimited way would be disproportionate and unfortunately that is the position put forward by the National Party. That is not something that this Government was willing to sign up to.