Abstract
Theft represents one of most likely sources of firearms for the illicit market. Between 2004–05 and 2008–09, an average of 1,545 firearms were reported as stolen to Australian state and territory police. The National Firearm Theft Monitoring Program (NFTMP), which covered the period 2004–05 to 2008–09, was established at the Australian Institute of Criminology to compile more detailed information on the nature and characteristics of reported firearm theft events.