According to Räsänen the number of firearms licenses issued has declined, partly because of age limits and in other cases due to a requirement to prove a reasonable case for owning a firearm, for example for engaging in sport marksmanship or hunting.
Räsänen praised proposals for additional controls revealed yesterday by a working group, which included tougher rules for firearms storage and a provision for law enforcement officers to retain medical evaluations of persons deemed unfit to own guns.
60,000 new gun lockers
The working group called for gun owners with more than five firearms to exercise greater care in securing their weapons. Currently regulations on gun storage apply only to certain kinds of weapons.
“In my opinion the proposal greatly improves the secure storage of guns as there will be major new controls. 60,000 firearms license holders will have to get gun lockers,” Räsänen told Yle on Friday.
According to the minister just a few thousand firearms license holders currently own gun lockers.
Medical evaluations on file for three years
The working group also tabled a proposal that would allow police to keep for three years medical evaluations of persons deemed unfit to own a weapon.
“Currently officers don’t have this right. They end up disposing of the majority of doctors' statements, when the individuals may not even have a gun license. For the most part the doctors’ work is wasted,” Räsänen declared.
The provision would be particularly useful in cases where applicants seek licenses following a medical evaluation.
Räsänen pointed out that the new proposals will next be circulated for comments. The bill will be passed on to the cabinet for consideration only after the commenting round is complete.