‘Shotgun’ Safety
The police inquiry into four shootings at a house in a former mining community in the north-east on New Year’s Day is likely to focus on why a man with a previous history of self-harm was allowed to hold six gun licences.
The deceased gunman had licences for the firearms despite police revealing they were told that the gunman suffered with depression and in 2008 he had threatened to harm himself during what they described as a “minor” incident.
Now let’s examine some other important facts;
To obtain a firearm certificate, the police must be convinced that a person has “good reason” to own each firearm, and that they can be trusted with it “without danger to the public safety or to the peace”. Under Home Office guidelines, firearms licences are only issued if a person has legitimate sporting or work-related reasons for ownership.
Since 1946, self-defence has not been considered a valid reason to own a firearm.
The current licensing procedure involves:
- Positive verification of identity, two referees of verifiable good character who have known the applicant for at least two years (and who may themselves be interviewed and/or investigated as part of the certification),
- Approval of the application by the applicant’s own family doctor,
- Inspection of the premises and cabinet where firearms will be kept and a face-to-face interview by a Firearms Enquiry Officer (FEO) also known as a Firearms Liaison Officer (FLO).A thorough background check of the applicant is then made by Special Branch on behalf of the firearms licensing department.
Only when all these stages have been satisfactorily completed will a license be issued, which has to be renewed every 5 years.
With a few specialised exceptions, all firearms in the United Kingdom must be licensed on either a ‘firearm certificate’ (FAC) or a shotgun certificate.
This was said to be under review in the early part of 2011.
“Just a little too late for this devastated family, friends and neighbours”
Would you believe it if I told you that taxi’s and taxi drivers are regulated much stricter than shot guns and their owners.
Full examinations are carried out on the vehicle itself and the named driver at least every 1 – 3 years or so I’m told.
Examinations are performed by doctors and GP’s and their criteria for assessing medical fitness include:
- vision
- psychiatric
- neurological
- cardiovascular
- endocrine system
- musculoskeletal
On a more positive note; The United Kingdom has one of the lowest rates of gun homicides in the world, and did so even before strict gun control legislation came into force.
Click here for; Shotgun Safety Codes of Practice
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