New look at how gun licences are issued in Notts
POLICE REVIEW PROCESSES AFTER HOME OFFICE REQUEST
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Police are reviewing the way they issue gun licences after the mass shooting in Plymouth.
More than 8,000 people in Nottinghamshire had a firearms licence as of March. Latest figures show that 294 new applications were granted last year, while 15 were refused.
A further 1,975 renewal applications were granted and 11 refused, with 39 certificates revoked.
The force will be reviewing its approval process, along with all other forces in the country, after Jake Davison shot five people dead in Plymouth on August 12.
The victims included Davison’s n mother and a three-year-old girl. Davison then took his own life.
Davison was reportedly a licensed gun holder who had his firearm returned to him by police just weeks before the shooting spree, after it was taken away in December following an assault allegation.
All police forces across England and Wales have been asked to urgently review their practices before the Home Office issues new guidelines.
Nottinghamshire assistant chief constable Rob Griffin said: “As with every other police force in the country, Nottinghamshire Police is responsible for issuing firearms certificates to individuals and will only do so after their application has been assessed by a dedicated team of experts, a robust process of background checks is completed and the individual meets criteria set out in the Home Office’s national legislation.
“If a certificate holder has a change of circumstances that mean they no longer have good reason to own a firearm or a change in suitability, for example, if they become involved in criminality or there is a health-related issue, then their certificate can be revoked.”
Home Office data shows 8,214 people in Nottinghamshire held a firearm or shotgun certificate – or both – as of the end of March, down from 8,545 the year before.
Anyone who acquires or owns a firearm or shotgun must hold a certificate issued by the chief officer of the police force area where they live, unless they are exempt.
To issue a certificate, the chief officer must be satisfied that the applicant has a good reason for having the firearm, they are fit to be entrusted with one, and that public safety or peace will not be endangered. Certificates are valid for five years. After the killings, a Home Office source said the department will publish new guidance to improve how people applying for a firearms licence are assessed in future, including social media checks.
The source added: “But today, as a matter of urgency, we are asking the police to review their practices and whether any existing licences need to be looked at again.
“This will help reassure people that all necessary checks have been made to keep them safe.”
The appeal follows the Independent Office for Police Conduct’s (IOPC) announcement that it will investigate Devon and Cornwall Police’s decisionmaking in relation to Davison’s possession of a shotgun and shotgun certificate.
IOPC said it had not yet been established whether the shotgun returned to Davison in July was used in the shooting.
It has also emerged that Davison had made online references to “incels” – short for “involuntary celibate” and often used to describe men who blame women for their perceived sexual failings, and promote misogynistic views and violence towards women.
At the end of March, 7,744 (94 percent) of the people in Nottinghamshire with a licence for a firearm or shotgun were men.
The firearm certificates in Nottinghamshire covered 4,995 rifles, 266 handguns and 117 muzzle-loading handguns, which are loaded from the open end of the gun’s barrel.
They also covered 176 “Section 1” shotguns, which have magazines holding more than two rounds.