Firearms enquiry officer

A firearms enquiry officer (FEO) is a member of police staff in United Kingdom police forces. They are responsible for investigation issues related to firearms and explosives licensing.

Role

FEOs carry out enquiries and background checks as part of the application process for Firearms Certificates, Shotgun Certificates and explosives licenses.^[1]^[2] They seek to establish that the applicant has sound reason to possess the articles for which they are applying, and ensure that the applicant has no record of violent or firearms-related crimes, or a history of mental instability. FEOs carry out personal visits to applicants' homes to ensure that they meet the legal requirements regarding secure storage.^[1] They perform similar checks when licences are renewed, to reassess licensees.

FEOs also make visits to the homes of licensed firearm owners and shooting clubs to assess the security that the firearms are kept in; if this is not up to standard the licence may be put in jeopardy.

FEOs are full-time members of staff employed by the specific Police Force that they work for, and usually part of an enquiry team, though in smaller stations they may work on their own.

Training and professional practice

Until 2023, there was no standardised national training for FEOs, with Continuous Professional Development considered solely a personal responsibility.^[1] West Yorkshire Police offered an Explosives Liaison Officer Course.^[3] Provision of appropriate role training was recommended by the Cullen Inquiry into the 1996 Dunblane massacre, but this recommendation was not implemented by Police or the Home Office.^[4]

During the inquests into the 2021 Plymouth shooting, FEOs from Devon and Cornwall Police gave evidence that no specific training for the role had been provided in twenty years, and that tools such as risk matrixes were not used.^[5] Despite having been cautioned for assault, and required to complete an anger management course, the perpetrator's Shotgun Certificate had been reinstated weeks before the killings.^[6] The inquest found that an unsafe culture had existed in the firearms licensing office, following decades of failure to properly train and supervise staff.^[7]^[8]

Following the shooting, the College of Policing reviewed the Authorised Professional Practice relating to Firearms Licensing, including a public consultation.^[9]

In June 2023, CC Debbie Tedds - firearms licensing lead at the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) - announced that a national training programme for FEOs would be introduced by 2024.^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Role - Firearms Enquiry Officer". College of Policing. College of Policing. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
^ "Firearms enquiry officers". Firearms and Explosives Licensing. Leicestershire Constabulary. Archived from the original on 2007-12-15.
^ "Freedom of Information - Firearms Licensing (361A/22)". West Midlands Police. 7 April 2022. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023. Q4: What training is provided to Firearms Enquiry Officers and by whom? In house training – Police IT systems, Safe handling of firearms, 'on the job' training with mentors. External – Explosives Liaison Officer Course (West Yorkshire Police)
^ "Public inquiry into the shootings at Dunblane Primary School". gov.uk. Scottish Office. 16 October 1996. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
^ Carl Eve (2 February 2023). "Plymouth shooting: No 'relevant' firearms training in police force for 20 years, inquest told". Plymouth Herald. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023. An inquest into the Keyham shooting has heard that not all officers followed a "risk matrix" which was in place to categorise potential gun owners as high risk, medium risk, or low risk. Speaking at the inquest today (February 2) Stephen Carder, Devon and Cornwall Police firearms licensing supervisor, gave evidence to the court in which he admitted he did not consider the matrix when receiving the Force Enquiry Officers' decision on an application. The inquest was told no relevant training on firearms licensing had been undertaken within Devon and Cornwall Police for more than 20 years. Mr Carder approved a grant to give 22-year-old Jake Davison, who killed five people in Keyham in 2021, a licence in 2017.
^ "Jake Davison's gun licence application not referred to manager, inquest hears". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 23 January 2023. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
^ Sam Blackledge (10 March 2023). "Decades of 'abject failure' led up to Plymouth mass shooting, Keyham coroner says". itvNews. ITV Consumer. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023. A coroner has said the deaths of five people shot by a gunman in Plymouth came after three decades of "abject failure" to properly train police staff.
^ Rod Minchin (20 February 2023). "'Unsafe culture' in police firearms unit before Keyham shooting – inquest jury". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023. The jury said: "There was a catastrophic failure in the management of the firearms and explosives licensing unit, with a lack of managerial supervision, inadequate and ineffective leadership. "This was compounded by a lack of senior management and executive leadership who failed to notice or address the issues. "There was a lack of scrutiny and professional curiosity at all levels. "There was a seriously unsafe culture within the firearms and explosives licensing unit of defaulting to granting licences and to returning licences after review." Turning to national failings, the jury also found: "There was a serious failure at a national level by the Government, Home Office and National College of Policing to implement the recommendation from Lord Cullen's Report in 1996 arising out of the fatal shootings in Dunblane, to provide training for firearms inquiry officers and the subsequent recommendation in Her Majesty's Inspectorate of the Constabulary's Targeting the Risk Report in 2015 for an accredited training regime for firearms enquiry officers. "The most recent statutory guidance from the Home Office (2021) has failed to include any mention of firearms inquiry officer specific training."
^ "Firearms licensing guidance – have your say". College of Policing. 12 January 2023. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
^ Ben Woolvin (1 June 2023). "Gun licensing training will be introduced in 2024 - chief constable". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.

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[cop-role-1] "Role - Firearms Enquiry Officer". College of Policing. College of Policing. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.

[2] "Firearms enquiry officers". Firearms and Explosives Licensing. Leicestershire Constabulary. Archived from the original on 2007-12-15.

[3] "Freedom of Information - Firearms Licensing (361A/22)". West Midlands Police. 7 April 2022. Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2023. Q4: What training is provided to Firearms Enquiry Officers and by whom? In house training – Police IT systems, Safe handling of firearms, 'on the job' training with mentors. External – Explosives Liaison Officer Course (West Yorkshire Police)

[4] "Public inquiry into the shootings at Dunblane Primary School". gov.uk. Scottish Office. 16 October 1996. Archived from the original on 22 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2017.

[5] Carl Eve (2 February 2023). "Plymouth shooting: No 'relevant' firearms training in police force for 20 years, inquest told". Plymouth Herald. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023. An inquest into the Keyham shooting has heard that not all officers followed a "risk matrix" which was in place to categorise potential gun owners as high risk, medium risk, or low risk. Speaking at the inquest today (February 2) Stephen Carder, Devon and Cornwall Police firearms licensing supervisor, gave evidence to the court in which he admitted he did not consider the matrix when receiving the Force Enquiry Officers' decision on an application. The inquest was told no relevant training on firearms licensing had been undertaken within Devon and Cornwall Police for more than 20 years. Mr Carder approved a grant to give 22-year-old Jake Davison, who killed five people in Keyham in 2021, a licence in 2017.

[6] "Jake Davison's gun licence application not referred to manager, inquest hears". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 23 January 2023. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.

[7] Sam Blackledge (10 March 2023). "Decades of 'abject failure' led up to Plymouth mass shooting, Keyham coroner says". itvNews. ITV Consumer. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023. A coroner has said the deaths of five people shot by a gunman in Plymouth came after three decades of "abject failure" to properly train police staff.

[8] Rod Minchin (20 February 2023). "'Unsafe culture' in police firearms unit before Keyham shooting – inquest jury". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023. The jury said: "There was a catastrophic failure in the management of the firearms and explosives licensing unit, with a lack of managerial supervision, inadequate and ineffective leadership. "This was compounded by a lack of senior management and executive leadership who failed to notice or address the issues. "There was a lack of scrutiny and professional curiosity at all levels. "There was a seriously unsafe culture within the firearms and explosives licensing unit of defaulting to granting licences and to returning licences after review." Turning to national failings, the jury also found: "There was a serious failure at a national level by the Government, Home Office and National College of Policing to implement the recommendation from Lord Cullen's Report in 1996 arising out of the fatal shootings in Dunblane, to provide training for firearms inquiry officers and the subsequent recommendation in Her Majesty's Inspectorate of the Constabulary's Targeting the Risk Report in 2015 for an accredited training regime for firearms enquiry officers. "The most recent statutory guidance from the Home Office (2021) has failed to include any mention of firearms inquiry officer specific training."

[9] "Firearms licensing guidance – have your say". College of Policing. 12 January 2023. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.

[10] Ben Woolvin (1 June 2023). "Gun licensing training will be introduced in 2024 - chief constable". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.

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