Norfolk FLD 'Safe shooter assessment'

[Bowland blades]

I think I can see how this could develop/progress, and it certainly wouldn't go down well with a lot of shooters. Just remember that the whole medical records thing started in one force area not that many years ago (Lincs) and has since ended up rolled out to the whole country.

That's why it should be robustly challenged ! The over-riding thing is , the Police have never proved themselves very efficient / Competent . most of the FEOs i have had had no personal involvement in any civilian shooting previous to actually doing the job . Its like having driving examinations done by someone who has never passed a UK driving test themselves .
Also If the medical marker things work ? why do we have to renew every 5 years - that would cost half the money for us and the police forces . I suspect Starmer and his " real cost " is going to be very much higher in cost than it really should be!

 

[Rewulf]

I may be wrong Bruce but I thought that it was Lincs first when G4S took over admin of their firearms department and then Scotland?

You are not wrong, Lincs was first, and most other force areas followed suit quickly, I had to have one in Notts in 2019, and it had been out a few years before that renewal.

 

[suffolk maverick]

I’m Suffolk based and asked for some land to be checked as had closed ticket, said no longer checking land and doing safe shooter assessment and opening ticket instead. Simple enough conversation, similar to initial grant asking about experience and backstops etc. ticket opened. Just waiting for it to come back in post. Think it’s to avoid the land check stuff more than anything and associated hassle/resource driving round thousands of acres?

 

[Stalker_AG]

It'll be in relation to an open ticket.
It's some safety questions on backstop knowledge as Suffolk/Norfolk are no longer doing land assessments and are opening tickets.
Don't panic.

 

[sy247]

That sounds perfectly reasonable. As long as there isn't actually a shooting test involved I take back what I said in my previous post!

 

[suffolk maverick]

That sounds perfectly reasonable. As long as there isn't actually a shooting test involved I take back what I said in my previous post!

No shooting involved, discussion of safety and normal aspects of responsible shooting like telling land owner you are going etc.

 

[Morkai]

It'll be in relation to an open ticket.
It's some safety questions on backstop knowledge as Suffolk/Norfolk are no longer doing land assessments and are opening tickets.
Don't panic.

So, what happens if you have no land of your own and only do paid stalking or invites, will they take you to some other land?

 

[sy247]

I got my ticket opened because I argued that it wasn't practical to determine if the land i was paying to stalk on was cleared or not. Especially if it was in other constabularies jurisdictions.

 

[Stalker_AG]

So, what happens if you have no land of your own and only do paid stalking or invites, will they take you to some other land?

Where did I say you go anywhere?

 

[r judd]

Again, police doing what they want

 

[Morkai]

Where did I say you go anywhere?

Just in relation to someone having their ticket opened.

They have to do the assessment somewhere.

 

[sy247]

Just in relation to someone having their ticket opened.

They have to do the assessment somewhere.

They didn't for me. I sent them an email.

 

[Morkai]

I got my ticket opened because I argued that it wasn't practical to determine if the land i was paying to stalk on was cleared or not. Especially if it was in other constabularies jurisdictions.

Sound.

But if Norfolk are trying this, will they open it for shooters in their area without doing this simulated outing?

 

[Morkai]

They didn't for me. I sent them an email.

That answered it, cheers.

 

[sy247]

I am in Norfolk. Sounds to me like they haven't got the resources / don't want to clear land anymore and want to open up tickets so are performing a safe shooter assessment by asking some questions to determine suitability and demonstrate due diligence.

 

[Dagless]

Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to post in this thread with their views and experience, it really has proved to me the value of having a forum like this - it's been immensely helpful to someone like me who is just getting into stalking.

So, thus far it seems that what the FLD are trying to achieve is to by default issue open tickets (a valuable and useful thing to have of course) in order to avoid land checks and save time and resources, but the trade-off for this is to make applicants go through a process of their own design that doesn't have a basis in the legislation or Home Office guidance.

Plenty to think about, and a useful illustration of how fragmented, under-resourced and arbitrary the current approach to licensing is nationwide. I'm already in touch with my shooting organisation to share my own experience and see what comes of it.

I'll post again when I have more news. Until then, it looks like my own rifles will have to remain happy punching holes in paper rather than putting dinner on the table as well.

 

[DVS1]

Who would regulate it?

Who would fund it?

Who would staff it?

Some areas are still in backlogs of covid....years later! Yet this brainwave would probably be introduced after a trial in Norfolk? I would like to think that all shooting organisations would club together to keep firearms legislation to remain within its legal parameters.

What of current open ticket holders? Forced to take a safe shooter assessment? Like people having to complete a DSC1 prior to being granted a variation for deer suitable calibre...no legislation to state its required.

So why must we jump through all these legal hoops to pursue our interests yet the goalposts be moved back because of 'bright' ideas! Surely as those that govern such guidelines and legislation then they should work within the legislation themselves.

 

[Morkai]

@Rick Dagless MD do you know if the land you have has already been cleared and what chamberings are you asking to have deer and AOLQ added to?

 

[Dagless]

@Rick Dagless MD do you know if the land you have has already been cleared and what chamberings are you asking to have deer and AOLQ added to?

It's been cleared up to and including .308 (which I have).

 

[Morkai]

It's been cleared up to and including .308 (which I have).

And they want the assessment for just the change of conditions and not an open ticket?

It sounds very strange.