First NPCC firearms licensing performance table published for forces in England and Wales

[Conor O'Gorman]

In January the policing minister stated that the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) firearms lead DCC David Gardner (Deputy Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police) was developing a new performance framework for firearms licensing teams to provide greater transparency on application turnaround times.

This was to include a performance target for forces to complete applications for the grant or renewal of firearm and shotgun certificates within four months, unless there were concerns about the suitability of the applicant.

In addition, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services would later this year be undertaking a thematic inspection of police forces’ arrangements in respect of firearms licensing.

The first performance table has been published and this shows wide disparity between forces.

https://www.npcc.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/publications/firearms-licensing-q4-headlines.pdf

Consider that against the following list of police forces in England and Wales that have given, or not given, assurances to BASC to back up a Home Office pledge that money raised by increasing firearms licensing fees would be ploughed back into firearms licensing.

The police forces that have provided assurances to BASC on the resourcing of firearms licensing departments are:

• Cheshire
• Cumbria
• Derbyshire
• Dorset
• Dyfed Powys
• Essex
• Gloucestershire
• Hampshire
• Kent
• Lancashire
• Norfolk
• Northumbria
• North Yorkshire
• Staffordshire
• Suffolk
• Surrey
• West Mercia

The police forces that have not yet provided assurances, or have not responded to BASC, are:

• Avon & Somerset
• Bedfordshire
• Cambridgeshire
• Cleveland
• Devon & Cornwall
• Durham
• Greater Manchester Police
• Gwent
• Hertfordshire
• Humberside
• Leicestershire
• Lincolnshire
• Merseyside
• Metropolitan Police Service
• Northamptonshire
• North Wales
• Nottinghamshire
• South Wales
• South Yorkshire
• Sussex
• Thames Valley Police
• Warwickshire
• West Midlands Police
• West Yorkshire
• Wiltshire

Silence on firearms licensing fees speaks volumes

The majority of forces in England and Wales have failed to confirm that fee increases will be used to fund firearms licensing departments.

basc.org.uk

 

[Apthorpe]

Could you help us understand the arithmetic in this table?
E.g. Devon and Cornwall dealt with 4780 out of 7588 applications withim 4 months, which to me seems to be 63% but is reported as 88%:in the table. The same pattern of apparent overclaiming is repeated throughout.

 

[Tarquin]

Cambridgeshire!

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

Could you help us understand the arithmetic in this table?
E.g. Devon and Cornwall dealt with 4780 out of 7588 applications withim 4 months, which to me seems to be 63% but is reported as 88%:in the table. The same pattern of apparent overclaiming is repeated throughout.

I don't know how that has been worked out. Something to be followed up on.

 

[Klenchblaize]

The "City of London" had their work cut out!

K

 

[Apthorpe]

I don't know how that has been worked out. Something to be followed up on.

Thank you. Something else to follow up on perhaps is the habit of not issuing temporary permits when they should, and giving illegal advice to certificate holders. Quite obvipusly thousands of people haven't been issued temporary permits when they ought to have been. My issuing force is D&C and at my last renewal, after Keyham, they had replaced the long-serving and competent lady FEO who had previously done it with a new person rather full of himself, who'd transferred from up country and professed himself something of an expert but very mucj came across as a twerp. When it was apparent that my certificate was likely to expire before the renewal was done, he denied the existence of temporary licences and said that the correct thing to do was to keep the guns (without any valid permit) locked up at home. I suspect that may not be the correct procedure.

 

[timbrayford]

One DVLA for vehicle licensing, multiple FLDs for firearms licensing rather tells its own tale. But not many people appear to be aware that when driving licences first came out that too was a job for the local police.

 

[long_range_rob]

Not enough meat on that bone. My son applied nearly a year ago and hasn’t even been contacted. We need details on new applications, FAC renewals, SGC renewals, etc.

 

[Pellet Pinger]

The "City of London" had their work cut out!

K

I think knives are more popular in that manor.

 

[Elshad]

Lumping together all grants and renewals under the word “applications” leads to a pretty useless statistic in all honesty - for example the Met certainly doesn’t turn around 83% of “applications” (which most normal people would take to mean grants) in 4 months.

 

[Greenmist]

The "City of London" had their work cut out!

K

How did they cope

 

[Greenmist]

OK @Conor O'Gorman , whats next? How are we tackling this problem?

 

[charlie222]

If the NPCC firearms lead publishes a table that states (in london) that 100% of 4 is 3, Id be asking the question, how on earth did they come up with the with numbers for full cost recovery? Simply embarrassing.

 

[Selous]

Can I make an observation please @Conor O'Gorman
The use of temporary firearms permits issued as a metric of a failing constabulary is fundamentally flawed as some constabulary’s were refusing to issue temporary permits even when the certificates had lapsed. They were openly telling people to continue shooting even though their certificates had lapsed and were even suggesting that they got friends to buy (section 1) ammunition for them when certificates had lapsed. Were this to be followed both the lapsed certificate holder and the friend buying the ammunition would have been breaking the law!
If you PM me I can confirm which constabulary this was.

 

[WW.]

Hampshire turns around 93% in under 4 months? Pull the other one. I sent my FAC application in in early Winter last year. Still nowt.

 

[fixedwheel]

Hampshire turns around 93% in under 4 months? Pull the other one. I sent my FAC application in in early Winter last year. Still nowt.

Have friends in Hants. that have been told recently that they are currently processing applications from Sept. '24,

If Hants. have received 4,739 applications, and processed 3,163 in under 4 months, I make that 66.74%, not 93% as stated in the table.

Even City of London lists 4 applications, and 3 processed in under 4 months, I make that 75%, not 100% as stated in the table.

Sussex is listed as having received 4,811 applications, and processed 1,995 in under 4 months, I make that 41.46%, not 71% as stated in the table.

Kent is listed as having received 5,001 applications, and processed 4,073 in under 4 months, I make that 81.44%, not 97% as stated in the table.

Kent, Hants. and Sussex have similar numbers of holders, (19,049 vs 19,654 vs 17,613) yet numbers actually processed within the 4 months target is quite different. (4,073 vs 3,163 vs 1,995)

Maybe BASC might ask how the NPCC are coming up with these figures?, and which spreadsheet program they are using?

Please note @Conor O'Gorman I am not having a pop at you, or at BASC, but I know BASC have been pushing for the figures, as without the figures it is impossible to hold the CCs feet to the fire.

 

[cjm1066]

Once you start to measure performance people either learn how to cheat the system or improve performance.

We need BASC and the other shooting organisations to keep the preassure on the Police and watch the number certificate holders that they have concerns about change as that's one easy way to massage the figures.

 

[Liveonce]

Now what’s that saying,

Lies, damned lies, and statistics​

 

[Nettle573]

Hampshire turns around 93% in under 4 months? Pull the other one. I sent my FAC application in in early Winter last year. Still nowt.

I checked in at the beginning in May and was informed they are currently working on new applications from Sept 2024. So that gives a bit of a general timeline for when to expect your call.

Just saw Fixedwheel’s post off to find more coffee.

 

[Jh1986]

Odd that Surrey and Sussex are listed separately, and also that Surrey have given assurances on funding whereas Sussex haven't.

It's my understanding that the two are now joined (even their email Addy is now surreysussex@)