The National Firearm Surrender campaign, co-ordinated by the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) includes every police force in the UK as part of a crackdown on reducing violent crime and ridding lethal weapons from the streets.
Officers from today (12th May) are urging people to hand over their firearms during a two-week long surrender of firearms and ammunition.
Firearms legislation is regularly updated and the police are asking people to surrender unlawfully held or unwanted guns and ammunition to help avoid them getting into the wrong hands.
This surrender is not just targeting those involved in criminal behaviour, it’s also aimed at collectors, licence holders and anyone who has inherited a firearm. Many firearms may be held in innocence and ignorance of their illegality or may be forgotten in people’s homes.
Many firearms may be held in innocence and ignorance of their illegality or may be overlooked or forgotten in people’s homes. The surrender gives holders the chance to safely dispose of the firearm or ammunition by taking it to a local police station and handing it in. Doing so minimises the risk of unwanted, unlicensed firearms becoming involved in criminality.
During the two-week period, those surrendering firearms will not face prosecution for the illegal possession at the point of surrender and they can remain anonymous. However, the history of each live firearm will be checked for evidence of its use in crime.
Detective Inspector Simon Morgan, from South Wales Police’s Force Intelligence and Organised Crime Unit, said: “We can be proud that gun crime in the UK remains one of the lowest in the world. We are not complacent about gun crime, however, which is why we are conducting the Firearms Surrender now; we want as many guns as possible to be handed in. We would encourage people to hand them in.
“Together with our partners we continually work hard to educate people about firearms and the dangers that come with them, to ensure that gun crime doesn’t become prevalent in the future.”
Firearms and ammunition can be surrendered at any police station but anyone handing in a firearm, or a stun gun, during the Firearms Surrender is advised to check the opening times of their station and to contact 101 before travelling to receive advice on how best to transport the weapon responsibly from home to the police station.
Anyone with information about those involved in illegal firearms activity is being urged to get in touch with South Wales Police (SWP).
Crimestoppers can be contacted completely anonymously via 0800 555 111 and you can also report online to SWP here.
The ammesty campaign runs from 12th-29th May.
| Scroll down to comment on this article
Former Barry office building transformed into vital new homes
Prolific thief banned from entering shops in Barry
I’m proud that all parties agreed on children in care plan
WHEN you elected me in May, I said I had come to listen and to…
Royal Welsh highlights the role of the rural economy
Parent may have to lose job for school run
Double victory for Pencoed cricketers
| Scroll down to comment on this article
