Call for review of gun laws

It comes as Tasmania Police deal with a number of gun attacks and thefts around the state.

Investigations are continuing into a Burnie shooting and a Devonport gun attack, which both took place on Saturday.

On Sunday night there was a triple shooting on Hobart's eastern shore.

Yesterday, two 19-year-old men were each charged with three counts of attempted murder in relation to the incident.

In May, a shot was fired at a police officer from a car on the Brooker Highway, with a man charged with the offence set to face court in October.

National Coalition for Gun Control chairman Roland Browne yesterday said gun control laws must be revisited.

Mr Browne said post-Port Arthur gun laws had dampened an American gun culture in the country - associated with large numbers of public shootings and incidences of gun crime.

But he said more needed to be done.

"Vigilance is waning and we're seeing the re-emergence of that culture," he said.

"It's time for us to focus our attention again on public safety, which is not achieved by imposing token prison sentences but by having the control of guns only in the hands of people fit and capable to use them.

"I think the current Tasmania Police inquiry will go some way to address the issue but there needs to be a focused review on the chain of custody of guns ... how they go from being legal to criminal."

Restrictions around how guns are stored should also be revised, Mr Browne said.

Earlier this month The Examiner reported police concern at a drastic increase in home and business burglaries, resulting in up to 50 firearms stolen in recent weeks.

Just two weeks ago a quantity of firearms was stolen from a Latrobe hardware store - a crime still being investigated by police.