‘We have a real problem here’: The shocking profile of Victoria’s gun-toting crims

Firearm offences are up 34 per cent in Victoria.

A report by the Sentencing Advisory Council has also revealed more than 80 per cent of offenders had substance issues.

A whopping 65 per cent were ice users and and 34 per cent were on bail or a community corrections order.

The council’s Arie Freiberg told Ross and John “we have a real problem here with firearm offences”.

Mr Freiberg said “we can send people to prison … but that’s a short-term solution”.

“89 per cent of them had some personal history of adversity such as child abuse, 32 per cent of them had mental illness.

“If we can treat some of those underlying problems, particularly the drug problems, we’ve got a better chance of protecting the community.”

Stopping the flow of guns was also important.

“Our concern is that the prevalence of these offences is going up, which indicates the number of illegal weapons in the community is probably going up as well.”

Click PLAY to hear Ross and John’s full chat with Arie Freiberg