Thoughts on BASC's new stance on Police Firearms Licensing Departments!

[Kersnow]

Maybe BASC should fund a test case or 2 challenging the gross inefficiency and ineptness of those charged with issueing tickets??

 

[Waz77]

Would "Stance" be the right word when talking about basc, would Slouch or Slump not be more appropriate?

 

[Jeff8861]

Take everything with a double doze of extra strong sea salt. They are pushing an agenda with the aim to taking over firearms licensing ££££££. They only offer facts that suit their cause there pr machine is no different to Packham and the BBC. I'm sure they only think that licensing departments only deal with grants and renewals.

 

[TomTalks]

They are pushing an agenda with the aim to taking over firearms licensing ££££££.

Not the first time I've heard this!

Is it rumour or something else?

 

[25 Sharps]

Is it my imagination or is BASC seemingly and suddenly getting openly abrasive with police firearms licensing?
Genuinely interested as my own FAC variation journey (The first half of 2022) motivated me to start podcasting on the topic.....
Also to meet East Hants MP, Hants&IoW - PCC/Senior Police/Head of FAC Dept.....etc

Is this driven by a genuine 8% drop in licenses being the fault of police firearms licensing departments?
- Or have we simply not seen licensing catch up yet?

Is there an associated loss of BASC members alongside the UK license numbers?
Ergo, it has become a higher priority for BASC?
Just a question, I have no idea but something appears to have changed radically at BASC HQ

Is it something else?

Do you think this stance will help or hinder us?

Before answering is this thread featuring on your podcast?

 

[Bowland blades]

Well I would hardly call it a blasting .

I’ve heard a harsher telling off from a mother to a toddler

Our shooting orgs have have no teeth at all , it’s all nothing but mouthing off and lip service.
BASC have never taken on , defended and won a legal case since its inception .

It is what it is .

The idea is to win without going into court . The Police will take it to the wire but will eventually settle on the court steps before entering . A loss in court over a point means they are highly likely to loose any further case of the like ( even if it doesn't become a precedent officially, it is by default ) . BTW BASC now have a special fund to fight any such cases for this very reason .
Personally speaking i had the offer of taking my from BASC but as it would mean my FAC would be immediately suspended till the case was settled with a compromise.
Police do not wish to go into court with anything and nether do our orgs, its the way the game is played

 

[25 Sharps]

There was a chat between the Police and BASC recently where the Police were at fault (I apologise for not remembering detail) and the conclusion was there was "no need to go to war over it".

I would like to see BASC go to war with good intent but its as likely as finding an ice cream at the coop in this temperature.
Could be they are feeling the pinch and that would also be a good thing, as it might call into question the value of BASC's strategies, and the stale taste of its press releases.

Instead of what is said above (note 2014, now 2022) BASC and others should state quite explicitly that the laughable 'service' received by shooters is an embarrassment when consistency should be driven by a National Guidance in the name of Public Safety and which is not open to interpretation. Levels of service delivered in this area should be part of a Chief Constables performance assessment for annual reviews of his position by the inspectorate from HO, feeding into the wider review.

Remember the attempts to stifle ACPO - Teresa Mays personal battle with a rebellious pack of Chief Constables ? If you don't 'go to war' you will not win any concessions to logic and fairness.

The last review was 2014, with increases in 2015 - so this will be a 2022 review with a likely 2023 increases.

 

[25 Sharps]

Yes, chaotic due to COVID but not as bad as police FLDs at the moment. So which is easier, getting just one organisation to improve or all 43 different ones?

I'm getting more convinced you are a BASC plant!

 

[25 Sharps]

South Wales have had my variation 8 weeks today - was told last week it hasn’t been looked at yet and at least 20 others before mine will be considered- will be lucky to get it before my DSC1 in October at this rate

I had one done in 20 minutes by Wilts' the week before last . . . .

 

[TomTalks]

Before answering is this thread featuring on your podcast?

No, I do not work like that.

I've already recorded the next episode, it does ask this very question.

Have posed the question here as a sanity check, nothing more.
Am solutions focused and hope it helps others......not a ranter but without a sanity check now and again, it is easy to go deep down a rabbit hole.

 

[Rewulf]

BASC is continuing to fight for improvements in firearms licensing

By fight , do you mean like play fight , where you roll over and wait for your belly to be tickled ?
So youve been fighting this particular err, fight since 2014 ? What have you achieved in this tempestuous battle , do we have shorter wait times , 10 year licences, moderators off ticket ect ?
Not exactly making much headway in this conflict are we ?
I could be really cynical and say things may have got a tad worse ?
How many top echelon cops and civil servants, MPs have you wined and dined , treated to free shoot days , did that help much with the 'fight' ?

Perhaps Basc aught to consider consulting its members about it and reinstate this part of the insurance, even if it involved a modest membership price increase. I would be willing to pay a reasonable premium on my membership for this.

Or you could get a great deal on insurance, with legal cover from Country cover club, for £33 , and let BASC keep their 150 staff, and glossy mag full of adverts ?

 

[terrier1]

I'm getting more convinced you are a BASC plant!

There are a few on here. when they are trying to tell us all that BASC are the voice of shooting when in actual fact all shooter are a voice that have a say in the future of our sport.

 

[kes]

There are a few on here. when they are trying to tell us all that BASC are the voice of shooting when in actual fact all shooter are a voice that have a say in the future of our sport.

Also perhaps now in their future representation, which may be a bit better than currently ? BASC's efforts resulted in the medical issue which they did NOT challenge nd still have not prperly accounted for that failing hence my comment below.

 

[Lateral]

I think that Basc made a big mistake in dropping the part of the insurance that would fund and defend a members case to court level against a police force,

Agree. It was comforting to know that there was legal support, if things went wrong.

Perhaps Basc aught to consider consulting its members

We should have been consulted in the first place, or, been told that this part of the insurance was being removed, if someone’s renewal was due.

Reinstate this part of the insurance, even if it involved a modest membership price increase. I would be willing to pay a reasonable premium on my membership for this.

Why the blo*dy hell should we pay any premium increase

BASC stated at the time, that the cost of the legal cover was costing TWO MILLION pounds, and it wasn’t cost effective, even though it was the Members who were paying the premium.

So they deleted the cover, offered no refund to those who had paid for it, and the icing on the cake, the membership charge remained the same, and the BASC pocket Two Million pounds, for doing exactly SFA !

I, and a lot of others, already feel like the BASC have ripped us off, and as soon as people realize they have alternatives, who INCLUDE LEGAL COVER, im sure they’ll jump ship !

As for the original question, I have no doubt the BASC’s only interest, will be financially self serving !

 

[finnbear270]

AUGUST 2019: I think my offer to B.A.S.C. has been missed by a few , and more importantly swerved by B.A.S.C. at the time, all my stuff was booked in ready for storage with RFD,some under the counter / back office chatting ensued & I was advised an export of my file to Cheshire would suffice, ... now I see it's no longer the case unless with a GP on board. finnbear270.

 

[mudman]

Maybe BASC should fund a test case or 2 challenging the gross inefficiency and ineptness of those charged with issueing tickets??

Test cases are all well and good, but you have to win

 

[finnbear270]

Test cases are all well and good, but you have to win

To win you at least have to try.

 

[mudman]

To win you at least have to try.

Not quite as simple as that is it with legal issues? Precedents being set etc etc. lose one case, lose all subsequent similar cases.

 

[finnbear270]

Not quite as simple as that is it with legal issues? Precedents being set etc etc. lose one case, lose all subsequent similar cases.

So we remain in Groundhog day situation ....

 

[timbrayford]

I'm getting more convinced you are a BASC plant!

It might reply in kind and ask if you have any connection with animal aid & the gun control network, but that would be sinking to your level wouldn't it?