Nearly 450 documents stolen from the former Auckland Police Station contained firearm owners names and addresses

Police are examining more than four-thousand recovered documents and contacting affected people.

More than two-thousand documents with only addresses have been identified - but further work is needed to understand how many people they relate to.

Council of Licenced Firearm Owners spokesperson Hugh Devereux-Mack says trust with police has been deteriorating.

He says it's a further example police aren't equipped to manage the administration of firearms licensing - and there should be an independent authority.