Not so far. I do know that over a decade ago there were various policy developments around greater medical involvement in firearms licensing - from memory that included a pilot in Essex? Somewhere along the line applicants were required to pay for GP reports if further information was required because of the medical declaration information given in their application. As you correctly point out, this was requested and paid for by the police force. In the mix were growing concerns around medical involvement in firearms licensing due to a number of tragic incidents involving certificate holders and the 2015 report 'Targeting the Risk' goes into some detail on that. There were calls for greater medical involvement in every application regardless of what was declared (as is the case now). The 2016 guidance was intended to provide a solution to all of this but did not work in practice, as we know, and then the various police forces started introducing their own processes, then the statutory guidance came in, and here we are now. That's a quick summary of my understanding, sorry if I missed anything - a busy day. As regards 'BASC' it would be the actual people involved in the policy developments on behalf of BASC that would be best to ask on the strategy and then how it all played out. Or maybe someone will publish memoirs at some point in the future!
BASC - fighting your corner on firearms
- Thread starter Conor O'Gorman
- Start date
Nimrod1960
Well-Known Member
View attachment 338081
It was a 'thing' back in the day, that very senior officers wrote in 'green ink' - never quite sure why.
As a young (in service) Cop, I was posted (night duty) to the front desk, at Harrow Road Police Station (remember them?).
At some stage during my shift, I 'abandoned' my post for about five minutes, to take a 'comfort break'.
When I returned, there in bold green script in the OB (Occurrence Book - a big leather tome which lived on the Front Desk), was the immortal lines.
"Visited. All correct. Commissioner"
To this day, I am not sure whether it was him or just a windup from some wag...
Interesting, during my time in newspapers the persistent letter writers of a certain mind set were always referred to as Green Inkers ! Now we know who they were
Someone took their eye off the 'who pays the medicos' ball.
BASC's line seems to remain that it all went just fine, and if it didn't then it wasn't BASC's fault at all. But it did - so that's all right.
You asked me to evidence what I consider the problem, which I've done. All the other stuff involving reports on this and that, pilot schemes etc. doesn't excuse the fundamental problem that should have been noticed at the time - particularly, as you see, as it was pointed out more than once.
Well I guess you and I don't know the ins and outs of it but hindsight is indeed a wonderful thing and I do hope you will re-join BASC and support the challenges ahead - it would be good to have the support and input of people with passion and tenacity like yourself on the policy and campaigns front.
Hindsight is too common to be wonderful.
What was needed was a bit of foresight, and its absence (as I keep pointing out) does not seem to have been identified as problematic either when I pointed it out at the time, nor now.
I appreciate that is your opinion and if I find out more from that era I will be in touch.
terrier1
Well-Known Member
hindsight is indeed a wonderful.
Hindsight can I ask what hindsight did BASC use when it announced a five year voluntary ban on lead ammunition without consulting its members or the cartridge manufacturers.
And yes I know it wasn't just BASC it was other organisations aswell. But they are not here saying that they are fighting your corner.
Hindsight can I ask what hindsight did BASC use when it announced a five year voluntary ban on lead ammunition without consulting its members or the cartridge manufacturers.
And yes I know it wasn't just BASC it was other organisations aswell. But they are not here saying that they are fighting your corner.
Stalker1962
Well-Known Member
Mike L
Well-Known Member
NONE of the other organisations seem to be on here………..at all.
@terrier1 may I say 'tongue in cheek' that I foresee at least 50 more comments were we to open up a new front on lead! This thread has certainly been around the houses but there was a silver lining learning the meaning of 'written in green ink' and surprisingly despite 150 comments nobody mentioned the national pigeon day!
GREEN INK???, Has no one noticed that the whole site is bathed in a lovely RESTFUL on the eye GREEN HUE, … AND long may it remain so! 
