Police Commissioner gets firearms licensing wrong

[Polchraine]

I live in Kent. I have a spare barrel waiting in a gun shop for me to pick up. Twice it has not been added to my certificate when submitted for variation. it is infuriating but I've decided to just hang on before I send my ticket back in again... The staff in the dept are literally swamped. The volume of work that comes with 27000 certificate holders is huge. there is but a slack handful of them after the swathing cuts that has seen Kent police lose somewhere in the region of 500 constables and over 1000 support staff. Close to 25% of their workforce. I know the firearms licensing dept are sickened by the poor service that they even struggle to provide, It is not how they wish to do their job...

Ann Barnes on the other hand..... well, it would be inappropriate for me to comment.

27000 - remember a significant number will have both SGC and FAC - say 20% which would take the number down to around 22000. On a five year cycle that would mean 4400 per year (average). A typical working year can be based on 260 days less statutory holidays and annual leave, 35, and maybe 5 days sick giving 220 days. That means Kent has to deal with just 20 applications per day. That does not need a very large team to manage that number ...

[tisme]

I live in Kent. I have a spare barrel waiting in a gun shop for me to pick up. Twice it has not been added to my certificate when submitted for variation. it is infuriating but I've decided to just hang on before I send my ticket back in again... The staff in the dept are literally swamped. The volume of work that comes with 27000 certificate holders is huge. there is but a slack handful of them after the swathing cuts that has seen Kent police lose somewhere in the region of 500 constables and over 1000 support staff. Close to 25% of their workforce. I know the firearms licensing dept are sickened by the poor service that they even struggle to provide, It is not how they wish to do their job...

Ann Barnes on the other hand..... well, it would be inappropriate for me to comment.

27000 - remember a significant number will have both SGC and FAC - say 20% which would take the number down to around 22000. On a five year cycle that would mean 4400 per year (average). A typical working year can be based on 260 days less statutory holidays and annual leave, 35, and maybe 5 days sick giving 220 days. That means Kent has to deal with just 20 applications per day. That does not need a very large team to manage that number ...

+ variations and new SGC, FACs but it's still not a lot of work if the team had the staff and money

[Polchraine]

+ variations and new SGC, FACs but it's still not a lot of work if the team had the staff and money

The 27000 will be the total number including new - don't forget that there are quite a few that are not renewed. Overall the number rises slightly year on year and new applications are in te region of 2-4% so not a significant extra burden.

Variations do add to it, however in most cases they are paid handsomely for just a few minutes work!

Kent just seem to be extremely inefficient!

[Blackstuff]

I always though people were certified to have firearms, that is why we have a firearms certificate rather than a license.

Yes I noticed that as well. I wonder if our national bodies even know the difference between a license and a certificate, and why its important

[Sim G]

There are an awful lot of improvements that could be made to efficiency, not only in Kent, but the country as a whole. The processes could also be standardised and delegated for one. Northern Ireland has one of the simplest and most sense one-for-one variation for the same caliber in the country. It's done in the shop! Want a new .308 to replace your current? Give the RFD your old one, he enters your new one there and then, one form signed by both inform the police who update the NFLMS.

In Kent that would require you handing over your rifle to your dealer, submitting a notification form, application for a variation and your ticket to the police. That would then go from admin staff to your FEO regardless, for enquiry. He'd speak with you, then pass it back to HQ, where the variation would have to be signed off by the manager, back to an administrator who would then amend NFLMS, print your ticket and post it to you. Pick up your new rifle and send another notification, which would then have to have databases amended...

Unfortunately "efficiency" in the public sector doesn't mean doing things better to improve performance, it means trying to do just the same, with a lot less resources.

[Polchraine]

Reading that woman's blog shows so many inaccuracies.

And it made me think about FACs and SGCs. Why should I pay for one?

The government decided that anyone wishing to own or use a firearm or shotgun should have a certificate to prove their right to possess or use one and the police would be responsible for the management. Te users did not decide to implement that regime. So, as it has been forced upon us, the government should pay from central funds.

[phaedra1106]

She's a complete loony, one of the first things that comes up on her blog is this crap,

"She said: ‘Having these guns kept here in Kent does pose a real public safety risk so it’s entirely right that they are properly accounted for, licensed to sensible people and locked away when not in use – it’s a matter of public safety."

[Maggot]

I live in Kent. I have a spare barrel waiting in a gun shop for me to pick up. Twice it has not been added to my certificate when submitted for variation. it is infuriating but I've decided to just hang on before I send my ticket back in again... The staff in the dept are literally swamped. The volume of work that comes with 27000 certificate holders is huge. there is but a slack handful of them after the swathing cuts that has seen Kent police lose somewhere in the region of 500 constables and over 1000 support staff. Close to 25% of their workforce. I know the firearms licensing dept are sickened by the poor service that they even struggle to provide, It is not how they wish to do their job...

Ann Barnes on the other hand..... well, it would be inappropriate for me to comment.

I dont think any of them do Sim. My lot try and have sod all to work with.

I cant help wondering about this 5 year cycle though?

Why on earth dont they issue on months based on the aphabet/applicants surname? (obvioulsy they would need to do some number crunching to make it fair, but then they would need to puplicise it). This might spread the workload and once it was running.....

We wait long enough for grants anyway...buggered if your name is zani though clapclap

The biggest issue our lot seem to have is covering the 5 year spike.

[Polchraine]

I cant help wondering about this 5 year cycle though?

Why on earth dont they issue on months based on the aphabet/applicants surname? (obvioulsy they would need to do some number crunching to make it fair, but then they would need to puplicise it). This might spread the workload and once it was running.....

We wait long enough for grants anyway...buggered if your name is zani though clapclap

The biggest issue our lot seem to have is covering the 5 year spike.

There does seems some movement on the 5year cycle - potentially moving to a 10 year cycle with the first round of renewals being on a "random" basis which would smooth it slightly but still leave a small bump. I have also put in a suggestion that they should actually consider 7, 8 or 10 year for the first round - that would do a lot more to smooth things.

[1066]

I feel that if you have jumped all the hoops to hold a FAC, you should automatically qualify for a SGC - There's can't be anyone who has an FAC but doesn't qualify for a SGC can there?

The whole system could be greatly streamlined.