Police start unnanounced visits to gun owners homes.

[Steve]

[NorthernRaider]

[Steve]

NR, from your own link:

The new Home Office guidance states: “Where it is judged necessary, based on specific intelligence in light of a particular threat, or risk of harm, the police may undertake an unannounced home visit to check the security of a certificate holder’s firearms and shotguns. It is not expected that the police will undertake an unannounced home visit at an unsocial hour unless there is a justified and specific requirement to do so on the grounds of crime prevention or public safety concerns, and the police judge that this action is both justified and proportionate.”

Importantly, shooters must understand that no new power of entry has been conferred on the police or police staff, and those undertaking a visit must provide “a clear and reasoned explanation” for doing so.

So, in summary, they need specific intelligence of a threat and have no new powers. Shooters in the UK have to be aware of gun security, we have our security inspected when we apply for a certificate and it's not at all difficult to comply by keeping the gun where it's supposed to be - in the safe.

[NorthernRaider]

Agreed Steve but I'm equally sure you know as well as I do the police are well proven for being 'creative' in generating reasons and excuses to interfere where they should not.

Just as only last week when the Government / Liberty etc went ballistic when they found out the cops were using anti terror laws ILLEGALLY to spy on legitimate journalists phone calls. The very same situation that saw journalists imprisoned for phone hacking the cops did the same to journalists months later.

If the police are given powers they inevitably abuse or distort the use of those powers. I remember multiple chief constables being trotted out on TV saying only a few years ago that Tazors would rarely be used and only by specialist fire arms officers in dire emergencies, now we see many cops routinely using tazors AGAINSt the agreed guidelines for use. Two recent cases being a mentally handicapped child being razored and an blind, crippled elderly chap being razored for walking using a white cane.

Its a given that the cops will misuse the powers they always do. YES it may only happen occasionally but if it happened to be you or I who was targeted its end result is still going to be dire.

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“Where it is judged necessary, based on specific intelligence in light of a particular threat, or risk of harm"

1 WHO decides WHERE, WHY and WHEN the local cop who doesn't like your teenage son, the fire arms officer whose wife has just left him, an inspector with a political agenda, a chief constable reacting to knee jerk anti gun hysteria.

2 Specific intelligence ? Local gossip, a woman who does not like the gun owner shooting rabbits, a fit up by a tabloid paper

Who judges the decision making process ? its the cops themselves and thereby lies the problem.

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FYI Steve I still think it is insane that decent hard working law abiding citizens should have to apply for the right to own an FAC or Shotgun.

[bowdrill]

Thanks steve
this is the thing here guys bottom line is if u dont want them in then dont
answer them through the window video them if you like
if your standing in your front window with your shotgun then yes I would expect a visit there they have cause for a visit
I have nothing to hide but I will excerise my right as a citizen to say no if I want to (while there is still a bit of freedom lol )
This is were organisations like basc come into there own for legal information on firearms and legal support if it should be needed
I deal a lot with firearms officers and basc has helped me in the past with restrictions on my licence and ive had an fac and shotgun for 30 years so these laws I have to be on top of
there will be some officers who will think that this is a green light for home invasion and tge quicker they know that it is not the better
but as always be polite lol

[NorthernRaider]

I reckon overall that Steve is correct in his approach, its just sods law that makes the exception to the rule

[bigpaul]

it seems in the piece I quoted that the Police were using "terrorism" as an excuse to make sure the gun owners still had the guns under lock and key. you've only got to get one force. go completely OTT and use one of those battering ram thingies to kick the door in cos no one answers the door or is never in when they call. I can see it happening even if no one else can.

[NorthernRaider]

Well Councils have been using anti terror laws and surveillance to spy on people who they simply suspect of trying to get their kids into over subscribed schools. The ONLY certainty in life is if you give bureaucrats and cops more powers they will always abuse them.

[bigpaul]

never trust anyone in authority, never trust anyone who says: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help"....(SIL is a retired social worker and she hasn't got a clue about real life).

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I have just seen a piece on the DM online page that says there is a new phone hotline for members of the public to ring to report registered gun owners if they think a crime has been committed and Gun owners are afraid of getting "fitted up" by the anti blood sports brigade.

[Tigs]

the only reason they will require to do this is a belief you are storing more ammo then you are permitted to store allowed be your license, its as simple as that , if you reload your own or have a small holding expect it to happen sooner rather than later, there was an article in the farming times about this over 18 months ago after a couple shot an intruder on there small holding