The Victorian Government is considering tightened security requirements for gun stores after more than 50 firearms were stolen from a Melbourne shop on Monday.
A gang of four masked men, including one armed man, stormed the gun shop in Thornbury about 11:00am and threatened the attendant before fleeing with the guns in a stolen car.
Victoria's Police Minister Lisa Neville described the incident as "incredibly unusual" but said she would discuss whether tighter legislation was needed with Victoria's police chief and gun shop owners.
"We have [legislation] in terms of licencing and how [guns are] stored," she told ABC Radio Melbourne.
"At this point no-one has really gone down the path of the state legislating about the level of security that you need, but maybe that is a conversation we need to have, given the harm that guns cause."
Ms Neville said the state already had extensive licencing and monitoring system for firearms stores and gun licences and that most thefts of guns were from private properties.
"Most of our firearms that are stolen in Victoria — about 700 in the last financial year — are stolen from rural properties, so it's individual licenced owners who haven't stored their guns properly," she said.
Police Assistant Commissioner Steven Fontana said on Monday the robbery was a planned, targeted attack.
"They knew what they were looking for. This wasn't just an opportunist-type offence. It was clearly targeting that particular shop to get these weapons," he said.
"They're obviously going to be recycled back for criminal intent."
Ms Neville said she was concerned the guns would find their way to organised crime gangs on the black market.
She also questioned whether gun stores needed to have fully functioning weapons on display.
"Given that you can't just walk into a gun shop these days and buy a gun and walk out with that gun … do we need to have live guns on display that people can steal and use?" she said.
Law change 'victim blaming'
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also expressed concern about security at the gun shop.
"Obviously this is at an individual business level but if there are higher standards that are needed and there are changes that Victorian police want made to better secure these shops and their stock then we stand ready to do that," he said.
But Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP for Northern Victoria Daniel Young said it was too early to start a debate over changing rules around gun storage.
"To be suggesting that we could be looking at changes to those kinds of rules and regulations is a little premature, given that we don't know all the details of what happened," he said.
"We don't know what changes could stop this from happening. And at the moment, the focus of Victoria Police — and the minister — needs to be 100 per cent on retrieving these firearms."
Mr Young said the shopkeepers were not to blame for the incident.
"To be talking about the gun shop somehow being at fault for this robbery is a form of victim blaming," he said.
