The State Government is considering giving police sweeping new powers to help keep guns out of the hands of criminals after an apparent spike in drive-by shootings and woundings this year.

Police Minister Michelle Roberts confirmed that she was reviewing a recommendation by WA’s Law Reform Commission to introduce what are known as firearm prohibition orders, which have been credited with helping drive down gun crime in other States.

The orders would enable the Police Commissioner to ban anyone “reasonably suspected” of posing a threat to the community from holding a gun licence or from living in a house where guns are stored.

Camera Icon Firearms and other weapons seized by the Australian Border Force in WA. Credit: ABF

Police would also have the power to enter the home, car or workplace of a prohibited person at any time to search for illegal guns, without the need for a warrant.

If caught with an illegal gun, the prohibited person would face increased penalties, as would any person found to have supplied them with a firearm or ammunition.

“Firearm prohibition orders have been found to be effective in other police jurisdictions around Australia when it comes to disrupting the activities of criminal gangs or serious crime figures,” Mrs Roberts said.

“I am concerned by the spike in gun-related crime in Perth over the past 12 months (and) giving police the tools they need to disrupt the activities of organised crime gangs and syndicates is something I will always support.”

More than 1000 prohibition orders have been issued in NSW since 2013 when they were introduced to help combat a surge in drive-by shootings and other gun-related crimes.

The targets of the orders have been bikies and street gang members, terror suspects, organised crime figures, suspected drug dealers and those people on parole for serious violent offences.

But even those without criminal records have been targeted because of concerns about their links to criminals.

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WA Police do not provide statistics on gun crimes.

But a search of The West Australian’s archives shows there have been at least a dozen serious firearm incidents in Perth since January, with at least half involving drive-by shootings at houses or businesses.

Former police commissioner Karl O’Callaghan told The West before his retirement last week that he believed gun violence was on the rise and that most offences were likely to be linked to methamphetamines.

“Given that we’ve seen a steady increase in the use of methamphetamines in WA, it’s not surprising that gun crime and drive-bys will increase,” he said. “I don’t think it has increased significantly, but my feeling is that ... it is happening more often.”

One man was killed by police in May after he pointed a loaded shotgun at officers during an incident in Darlington.

Four other people have been shot in other incidents. One woman was shot twice in the legs after men burst into her Carabooda home in March.