Tackling the Firearm Certificate Backlog
Norfolk Constabulary has a statutory duty to issue firearm and shotgun certificates for the residents of the county. As the licensing authority, the police have to assess whether an individual poses a threat to public safety and has good reason to own a firearm in order to grant a certificate. There is currently a serious backlog in dealing with demand. To address this, Norfolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Colin Sutton, has been looking at the options to improve the process.
Between them Norfolk and Suffolk have 38,000 firearms certificates to manage, with the exception of Police Scotland, that’s more than anywhere else in the United Kingdom, reflecting the rural nature of the counties and shooting interests.
Several factors have played a part in the accumulation of licensing delays. During the pandemic in 2021, certificate periods were extended, which has now created a surge in demand that will recur every five years – the Constabulary are currently in the middle of one of these periods.
Following a mass shooting of five people in Plymouth in 2021, where a gunman was handed back his shotgun one month before he went on the rampage, constabularies across the country were required to carry out further checks that had previously been discretionary, thus adding to the burden.
To address the situation, staffing levels have been increased by 27%, but the team makes 640 decisions per month, which is more than 30 decisions each working day. The current level of demand, though, requires 820 decisions per month, hence creating a bottleneck and the backlog.
New software to expedite the processing of firearms licensing has been ordered but delayed; the new technology will not be in place until June 2027. After that time, the process should be more efficient and cost-effective.
Colin Sutton said: “I would like to thank firearm users for their patience while we try to resolve the delays. Even with the current staffing levels we incur a loss. The cost to the constabularies of the current operation is £2.2m per year while the fees received are around £1m, so that is not a sustainable service model.
“Without the new software, it is anticipated that the current backlog will not clear until 2028.
“I have asked the team and the Gold Group to try to provide solutions for a faster resolution, and to ensure we can flatten the bulge, so we do not get a repeat in 2031.”
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