Cambridgeshire Police criticised over shotgun licence backlog
Cambridgeshire Constabulary, along with Bedfordshire Police, and Hertfordshire Constabulary don’t effectively and efficiently manage their firearms and explosive licensing arrangements to keep the public safe, the police inspectorate has said.
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the collaboration between the three forces has significant backlogs in processing firearms and shotgun licence applications and renewals. Inspectors also said it lacks an effective case management system and doesn’t have enough officers and staff to address the volume of outstanding applications.
HMICFRS has therefore issued the tri-force collaboration between Bedfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Hertfordshire Constabulary with a cause of concern. This process can be accelerated when a police force’s failures raise concerns about public safety – as is the case with these three forces.
His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Roy Wilsher said: “I have issued an accelerated cause of concern as Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire constabularies’ tri-force collaboration doesn’t effectively manage firearms and explosives licensing to keep the public safe.
“In our inspection we found significant backlogs, with some cases outstanding for up to two years. There was limited supervision, not enough training for officers and staff and no standard operating procedure for seizing and revoking firearms licences across the collaboration - creating inconsistencies.
“The desk-based renewal policy for shotgun licences could be leaving the public at risk and poor communication is creating further inefficiencies. For example, at the time of our inspection, we identified 2,190 unanswered emails and there was no phone number to allow the public to receive a prompt response from their firearms and explosive licensing unit.
“The forces must immediately prioritise firearm licensing and renewals. They need to put in place consistent policies, operating procedures and governance structures and this should be supported by enough resources, including officers and staff with the right skills.”
In a joint statement, Darryl Preston, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cambridgeshire, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire and John Tizard, Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire said: “As Police and Crime Commissioners for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, we fully accept the findings of this report and welcome the independent and detailed scrutiny of His Majesty’s Inspectorate, which assists us in our role to hold the police to account on behalf of the public.
“The firearms licensing function has not provided a good standard of service to the public over a prolonged period because of unacceptable systemic issues. We have been consistently transparent about this with our communities and recognise the significant impact this continues to have for licence holders and applicants. Firearms licence holders, including many at the heart of our rural communities, have been let down and deserved a better service. They and the wider community rightly expect effective risk management in such a service.
“As Police and Crime Commissioners, we have been pressing for improvements on behalf of the public and scrutinising performance through our individual governance meetings with Chief Constables and through the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) Strategic Board.
To address these concerns, HMICFRS has made a number of recommendations for improvements to be made.