Nerf gun ban hits The Riverland; police prepare for ‘home inspections’ to remove the now illegal Nerf guns

The Nerf gun ban has begun. The Riverland will be one of the first places in the state to outright ban sales and ownership of any type of Nerf gun, with them now being classed as a deadly weapon. While store stock has already been confiscated and destroyed, police will now be moving onto the next phase – home inspections. Starting monday 3rd of May, police will be making the rounds in Berri, entering homes and performing a thorough search to ensure there are no Nerf guns on the premises. The search will continue to Loxton, Renmark, and other towns later in the month.

While some are considering this an invasion of privacy, The Mayor of The Riverland has ensured that this is a necessary step to maintaining the safety of the region. The Mayor had this to say about it:

“We can not let gun violence define us. We must make sure we are taking the necessary steps to prevent any type of gun-related incident in The Riverland. I’m confident that our residents will realise we are solely acting in the interest of public safety.”

SA Police have also created an option for those wishing to surrender their Nerf weapons prior to the ban, with weekend ‘gun disposal’ stations setup at various locations. We spoke with Police Chief Archibald Roche regarding the gun disposal:

“Residents will have the opportunity to surrender their Nerf weapons and ammunition over the weekend. We strongly advise that everyone in possession of these weapons to give them up now, because it’s just going to cause more trouble later if we find them at their houses. If we inspect your house and find a Nerf weapon, it’s a fine. If we inspect your house and find Nerf ammunition, it’s a fine, no excuses, and we will be looking under cabinets, couches, beds, or anywhere else they could be hiding. We are taking this issue very seriously and expect everyone else to as well.”

The Riverlanderer will provide updates as this story develops.