Police forces across England and Wales are appealing for people to hand over any unwanted guns with a two week surrender of firearms and ammunition, from November 13 to 26. Those handing over firearms will not face prosecution for the illegal possession, at the point of surrender, and can remain anonymous. The surrender is not an amnesty. It does not mean that the police will not investigate any offences prior to its surrender, police add.
In the last national firearms surrender in 2014 more than 6,000 items were handed in to police across the country with 132 being surrendered in Lincolnshire and 323 in West Mercia for instance. These included hand guns, rifles, shotguns, antique (obsolete calibre) guns and imitation firearms – besides ammunition. It’s for example five years since Leicestershire held its own surrender when 148 weapons were handed in.
At Gwent Police, Supt Glyn Fernquest said: “Whilst we don’t experience a high level of gun crime in Gwent, we are joining forces with our partners in Wales and across the UK to support the national NABIS Fire Arm Surrender 2017. Many firearms are held in innocence however there is always a risk that they can end up in the wrong hands and used in criminality.
“This initiative gives people the opportunity to dispose of any unwanted or unused firearms safely and anonymously , whether they are held lawfully or unlawfully. This is a surrender and not an amnesty so whilst people will not be prosecuted for the possession of the firearm, our specialist officers will be examining the previous use of the firearm.”
Detective Chief Superintendent Jo Chilton, Head of the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS), said: “Surrendering unwanted or illegal firearms avoids the risk of them becoming involved in crime and means that members of the community can dispose of them in a safe place. Perhaps you have a gun that has been handed down through the family or you have found a firearm in your loft or shed which has been gathering dust and you had forgotten about. During the campaign this November you can contact your local force and hand in any unwanted or illegal firearms. This way you can be confident you have got rid of a firearm safely.”
The latest crime figures issued in October 2017 by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed crime involving firearms in England and Wales had increased by 27pc (to 6,696), for year ending June 2017 compared with the previous year (5,269 offences).
A West Midlands Police NABIS Firearm Surrender video is on Youtube: https://youtu.be/zQ_2y8u38X4.
Visit www.nabis.police.uk.
You should make sure that the firearm is unloaded and covered up, and if possible people are asked to ring the police beforehand on 101 to let officers know that they are bringing a gun.
If you know of anyone involved with illegal firearms you can call police on the non-emergency line 101 (calls cost 15p, no matter how long the call lasts) or the crime-reporting charity Crimestoppers (anonymously) on 0800 555 111.
