Certificates renewed

[kes]

I am with Gwent and have received my new co-terminus certificates. I followed their advice and obtained the medical certification (£50) early from my local GP. I submitted as soon as that was received (I had to collect it) which allowed significantly more than the minimum 8 weeks specified, all correspondence I delivered by hand to ensure no postal 'mishaps' .
The only hiccup was the 'offences' section which called for a check with Crim Records who held no data on the 'crimes' I had been guilty of - all involved speeding only and none of those required prosecution as all the recent ones (2) were dealt with by Speed Awareness Courses.
My experience therefore of Gwent is they provided an almost hassle-free, if somewhat elongated process which, as a customer I found satisfactory, given the earlier advice on how to submit before the 8 week deadline.
Given my lack of 'record' and everything else remaining unchanged since, the length of the process causes concern but relates more I suspect to reduced resources than anything else. Previous checks at last renewal seemed to be incomplete and that has clearly changed but well within reason, apart from the crim records check which is dysfunctional and needs to be changed to something more manageable in both time and detail terms. i.e. CRO holds no 'minor' speeding details and if a crim record check is necessary for 'completeness', it should be referenced as is the potential doctors delay.
So another 5 years of pest control and stalking, probably my last renewal but we will see.
My thanks therefore to Gwent.

 

[saddler]

Good to hear someone getting what they paid for, though your experiencing an elongated process must have been annoying.
I know how annoying mine is, given that it's now past the 18 month marker....!
Seems to be a lot more elongated where I am now than when I was in other force areas, with a lot of renewals then being done via the phone.
But at least I now know that one of the reasons for the delay in my case is the need to be extra careful after the Plymouth shootings - which took place a few hundred miles from me, and were not under the remit of my local force - but you cannot be too careful when dealing with someone who's only been in the sport for around 45 years!
Funnily enough, looking back to my first FAC in around 1982, the only item I was knocked back on was a .303 as it was deemed by the beat bobby as too dangerous - the numerous slots for semi auto rifles, handguns & such were all allowed to pass through & were granted. How times change. The real joke is that at the time the ONLY rifle I had had extensive time on the ranges with WAS the .303, having been in the cadets for 5 years.

 

[kes]

Quite extraordinary - whilst I was probed to see if I was a fit and proper person to hold a FAC and SGC This was happening

Senior police officers sacked for gross misconduct but public and media excluded from hearing details

I wonder if this would affect their chances of obtaining/retaining an FAC/SGC ?

 

[Greenmist]

I am with Gwent and have received my new co-terminus certificates. I followed their advice and obtained the medical certification (£50) early from my local GP. I submitted as soon as that was received (I had to collect it) which allowed significantly more than the minimum 8 weeks specified, all correspondence I delivered by hand to ensure no postal 'mishaps' .
The only hiccup was the 'offences' section which called for a check with Crim Records who held no data on the 'crimes' I had been guilty of - all involved speeding only and none of those required prosecution as all the recent ones (2) were dealt with by Speed Awareness Courses.
My experience therefore of Gwent is they provided an almost hassle-free, if somewhat elongated process which, as a customer I found satisfactory, given the earlier advice on how to submit before the 8 week deadline.
Given my lack of 'record' and everything else remaining unchanged since, the length of the process causes concern but relates more I suspect to reduced resources than anything else. Previous checks at last renewal seemed to be incomplete and that has clearly changed but well within reason, apart from the crim records check which is dysfunctional and needs to be changed to something more manageable in both time and detail terms. i.e. CRO holds no 'minor' speeding details and if a crim record check is necessary for 'completeness', it should be referenced as is the potential doctors delay.
So another 5 years of pest control and stalking, probably my last renewal but we will see.
My thanks therefore to Gwent.

Or simply return to the previous "none since last application"

 

[Sinistral]

Kes, you applied for a coterminous certificate - a co-terminus is a shared bus stop?..
The undefined hiccup over CRO checks is understandable since SP20 fixed penalty speeding fines are not offences, so a NO answer on these is legitimate and legal.
IIRC this is covered in the guidance notes on completion, but I agree it should be on the computerised 'form' to avoid any doubt.
The old blue form used to make a handwritten application actually said " Have you been convicted of any offences (see Notes to Part A). On Renewal or Variation details need only be given of convictions since the existing certificate was issued. YES or NO. If YES give details." Apparently this caused confusion, which persists to this day (#4), so the question was made absolutely clear. It's a double check on applicants who might have a history of offending, so there's no real difference in what's being asked.

 

[kes]

Kes, you applied for a coterminous certificate - a co-terminus is a shared bus stop?..
The undefined hiccup over CRO checks is understandable since SP20 fixed penalty speeding fines are not offences, so a NO answer on these is legitimate and legal.
IIRC this is covered in the guidance notes on completion, but I agree it should be on the computerised 'form' to avoid any doubt.
The old blue form used to make a handwritten application actually said " Have you been convicted of any offences (see Notes to Part A). On Renewal or Variation details need only be given of convictions since the existing certificate was issued. YES or NO. If YES give details." Apparently this caused confusion, which persists to this day (#4), so the question was made absolutely clear. It's a double check on applicants who might have a history of offending, so there's no real difference in what's being asked.

I would be quite happy with this requirement except that it does not say it takes 4 weeks which has to be factored in the overall renewal time - the doctor delay was mentioned.
On my forms it said all convictions not since last renewal and as this is a specific requirement it should have been accompanied by a second note saying e.g. speeding offences are not recorded by CRO and any and all speeding offences - other than those resulting in speed awareness need to be declared.
That I can understand and comply with without any delay. The Police used to check all records and must have a 'hot line' to CRO anyway.

 

[Sinistral]

I would be quite happy with this requirement except that it does not say it takes 4 weeks which has to be factored in the overall renewal time - the doctor delay was mentioned.
On my forms it said all convictions not since last renewal and as this is a specific requirement it should have been accompanied by a second note saying e.g. speeding offences are not recorded by CRO and any and all speeding offences - other than those resulting in speed awareness need to be declared.
That I can understand and comply with without any delay. The Police used to check all records and must have a 'hot line' to CRO anyway.

Convictions can only be imposed by a court, so fixed penalty speeding offences aren't convictions.
CRO checks for convictions are done as a routine no matter what you answer on the form, so a delay for these is inevitable.
As I understand it, repeated NIPs and FPN speeding offences result in compulsory SACs.
No need to declare these on an application at all.

Speeding penalties

You could get a fine and penalty points if you're caught speeding, or could even lose your licence

www.gov.uk

 

[kes]

Convictions can only be imposed by a court, so fixed penalty speeding offences aren't convictions.
CRO checks for convictions are done as a routine no matter what you answer on the form, so a delay for these is inevitable.
As I understand it, repeated NIPs and FPN speeding offences result in compulsory SACs.
No need to declare these on an application at all.

Speeding penalties

You could get a fine and penalty points if you're caught speeding, or could even lose your licence

www.gov.uk

I agree this would be sensible but my submission forms REQUIRE all Offences, explicitly including speeding but excluding parking tickets - which are civil issues

 

[Sinistral]

I agree this would be sensible but my submission forms REQUIRE all Offences, explicitly including speeding but excluding parking tickets - which are civil issues

Well this is strange. You're absolutely sure? The computer application process in Gwent is identical to BCH & other areas.

https://www.gwent.police.uk/ar/applyregister/fao/af/apply-firearm-shotgun-explosives-certificate/

I've been through the dialogue recently, and haven't been asked at any stage to declare 'Offences' . . . only 'Convictions'.
It's interactive, so without starting a pseudo application it's not possible to get to the right page. I think you're mistaken, and wrong on this point but let's leave it.
Maybe someone who's actually tapping in the answers this week on the screen can help out with a screenshot.

 

[kes]

I agree lets end this - I dont have the paperwork anymore but it would seem logical what you say.