A local doctor and member of the Legalise Cannabis Party has spoken out about an alleged breach of data by the WA Police firearms branch.
Dr Brian Walker said last week there were reports from a number of members of the Jarrahdale Shooters Club, who said their personal data relating to their firearm details and locations were shared without authorisation.
Dr Walker said the data of the members of WA’s largest outdoor firearms facility had been shared by the new police system.
“The roll out of the new electronic portal has been riddled with issues from its conception,” he said.
“I have been advised of more than 500 portal complaints to date, with licence holders unable to update their details, unable to lodge permission letters, and in many cases unable to access the system at all.
“This latest issue goes far beyond any of those, and shows that the system is not only faulty, but is dangerously unfit for purpose.”
Dr Walker said there was a long list of WA Police firearms issues, and he was both shocked and disappointed at the latest blunder.
“These were the people who ‘leaked’ a map of firearms owners’ home addresses to The West Australian on the last Police Minister’s watch and did so with his tacit approval,” he said.
“They are the people who started applying the new regulations – regulations which they themselves drafted – before they were legally permitted to do so.”
A Jarrahdale Shooters Club Member – who wished to remain anonymous – told Dr Walker the firearms portal had allowed other people to view firearms details without consent.
“When WA Police linked the user accounts of people on the Jarrahdale corporate licence, they did it in such a way that every member of the could see the private details of every other member,” he said.
“Worse than that, ex-members who were still on the police system could also see all the data.
“Those involved have had the physical addresses of their properties shared, including the locations of their gun safes, to every other person on the list.”
Dr Walker has also previously spoken out publicly against WA’s 2024 Firearms Act.
