Another prominent Melbourne security business is poised to launch legal action against the police licensing division over what it claims was an illegal search of its business last year. The owner, who asked not to be identified, said LRD’s failure to update its own database had caused his business to be shut down, with significant job losses. “Information supplied to LRD, which is later confirmed verbally, is still not being updated on their system. So they are closing down business because of their own mistakes,” the owner said. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video A former senior officer at LRD told The Age that problems with the accuracy of the firearm’s registry were evident 10 years ago, with the most serious mistake being wrongly recorded gun serial numbers.

"The system hasn't worked properly for a long time and these mistakes can potentially be dangerous for police and the public," he said. A police spokesman said LRD was satisfied with the accuracy of the firearms registry, which was audited by "a range of internal and external parties". Privacy reasons prevented LRD from discussing the status of Mr Sloan's guns, he said. The revelation of erroneous entries on the police gun database comes as Victoria faces a state election campaign where law and order and concern over gun crime shape as key issues. Senior police have admitted they are concerned about gun thefts and the high level of illegal arms possession among organised crime groups, particularly in Melbourne's north where there has been a series of shootings. In an effort to gain greater control over the number of guns in Victoria, LRD last year launched “Operation Baffler” which has resulted in raids on several security businesses and gun dealers. This has caused tension between parts of Victoria’s private security industry and LRD.

Mr Sloan said dozens of guns were seized during what he claims was an unwarranted disciplinary investigation. Sixteen rifles were returned by LRD officers last year, but the registry has not been updated even though he has requested it. He said the inaccuracy of the database was a serious problem because confusion over the whereabouts of guns made it more difficult to track illegal arms sales. It also presented a safety risk for emergency services personnel called to attend incidents at an address where firearms were registered. “What if there was a dispute here at my work and local police were called? They’d do a check on the LEAP database on the way here to see who runs the business here and see that I have lots of guns registered to me but that they are all seized by police," Mr Sloan said. "Then when they come through the door I pull out this double barrelled shot gun.”

Other LRD database problems The Age is aware of include the awarding of a private security licence to a Melbourne man whose required nominated employer was a security company de-registered in 2009, and the issuing of a security licence to another man previously declared by police “a prohibited person”. LRD, which is responsible for licensing and regulating gun owners and the security industry in Victoria, has had a tumultuous 12 months. A veteran LRD officer is to appear in the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court next month charged with unlawfully accessing and distributing confidential information from the police database. The same officer has been accused by women working in the security and firearms industry regulated by LRD of sending explicit photos of himself to them and pestering them for sex. It has been alleged that a more senior officer from LRD asked one of the women to drop her complaint. A separate internal investigation by Professional Standards Command has also been conducted into LRD after security industry figures lodged a series of complaints. LRD appears destined to have another legal fight on its hands: Mr Sloan has instructed his lawyer to prepare to issue a writ in the Victorian Supreme Court claliming he was the victim of a malicious prosecution.

An accredited firearm instructor for Victoria Police who also previously trained the Iraqi National Police, Mr Sloan said he could not explain why LRD had effectively shut down his training and guarding business since mid-2016. He said he had been forced to lay off eight employees and had lost at least $700,000 in revenue. Mr Sloan's problems began in 2016 when a routine audit by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority discovered some incomplete or missing records his AuSafe Australia business was required to have submitted to LRD. Mr Sloan said he accepted the audit findings and rectified the paperwork problems. Despite this, LRD put Mr Sloan’s business under disciplinary inquiry. This meant his training work had to stop and his guns were seized, making it impossible for him to provide armed guard service. It got worse for Mr Sloan when LRD charged him with breaching conditions 8 and 9 on his security licence. These conditions relate to the timely provision of information to LRD about individuals his company was training for security work. But Mr Sloan’s licence from LRD has only ever had three conditions on it. None of these relate to the breaches he was charged with.