Legally owned firearms

[alone wolf]

If one suspects someone might be in possession of a legally owned firearm and the individual is under investigation and/or suspension from acting in their professional field by their regulatory body, is it of police concern or not?

[Collectingbrass]

It would depend on their mental health and their potential to harm themselves or others as a result. As just one example of a voluntary licence surrender after a chat with Plod https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yde5p9kw9o

[Decky_Q]

Being dismissed from a professional body wouldnt have any bearing on FAC unless it was due to criminal conduct.

If your mental capacity/durability has been reduced through financial or relationship stress, that may be of interest to the FAO issuing certificates.

[mmm-five]

If it's action that involves the police, then they'll likely already know about the FAC.

[Landlubber]

It's not a criminal matter and if it's a mental health issue your NHS records are flagged so they'll know. It sounds like you dont like someone.

[AndyAudi]

Police interactions - they know as linked to name & address.
Medical - there’s a flag if you’re a gun holder to raise concerns re medical conditions or medication.

Bereavement / relationship breakdown firearms teams can also take an interest in.

I’m like previous poster though, wording of OP sounds like you’re asking to interfere & try & cause issues rather than address concerns. As this is PH, are you concerned they still have their driving licence too?

[GiantEnemyCrab]

Indeed, no one really cares about being a Chartered Accountant and being on the naughty step with your membership body and having a FAC.

[JonnyWhitters]

Landlubber said:

It's not a criminal matter and if it's a mental health issue your NHS records are flagged so they'll know. It sounds like you dont like someone.

This.

Please don’t interfere unless you genuinely believe there’s an immediate threat to safety or life. Any spurious claims can result in removal of firearms and the process to reverse that and return them is lengthy and frustrating. Not least it ties up valuable FEO and police time where they could be spent managing actual issues.

[eldrich]

JonnyWhitters said:

This.

Please don t interfere unless you genuinely believe there s an immediate threat to safety or life. Any spurious claims can result in removal of firearms and the process to reverse that and return them is lengthy and frustrating. Not least it ties up valuable FEO and police time where they could be spent managing actual issues.

This in spades, Traying to get firearms back can be very very difficult, including having to go to court to force the return (costly!), then of course the fact they were taken away once it is never forgotten.

The UK shooting inducstry is already in dire straits with the numbers giving up becasue of the hoops involved in renewing FACs etc. You onlu have to visit a web site like Holts to see there is virtually no 2nd hand market anymore as the number of guns being given up has killed the market. Its a very sad time for many dealers at the moment.

[donkmeister]

JonnyWhitters said:

Landlubber said:

It's not a criminal matter and if it's a mental health issue your NHS records are flagged so they'll know. It sounds like you dont like someone.

This.

Please don t interfere unless you genuinely believe there s an immediate threat to safety or life. Any spurious claims can result in removal of firearms and the process to reverse that and return them is lengthy and frustrating. Not least it ties up valuable FEO and police time where they could be spent managing actual issues.

We don't know the person he's talking about. Firearms owners are a cross-section of society and personalities, which means some are absolute knobheads and nutters (not every nutter has a condition).

If one of these people is embroiled in a stressful situation where they are likely to feel wronged then they absolutely should have their firearms removed. I don't know the last time a legal firearms owner was involved in shooting a person in the UK. Dunblaine? Tony Martin? If that changes, there will be further restrictions.

[AndyAudi]

donkmeister said:

I don't know the last time a legal firearms owner was involved in shooting a person in the UK. Dunblaine? Tony Martin? If that changes, there will be further restrictions.

It’s not hard to find more recent example & that has triggered further consultation/implications to “restore public confidence” however to some of us it feels a bit off as the procedures are in place already but those supposed to be policing them fell short
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_shooting
Skip to the aftermath & inquest

[donkmeister]

AndyAudi said:

donkmeister said:

I don't know the last time a legal firearms owner was involved in shooting a person in the UK. Dunblaine? Tony Martin? If that changes, there will be further restrictions.

It s not hard to find more recent example & that has triggered further consultation/implications to restore public confidence however to some of us it feels a bit off as the procedures are in place already but those supposed to be policing them fell short
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_shooting
Skip to the aftermath & inquest

Ah crap I forgot about that. Awful.

The police can't exactly get the same view into someone's personality that you might get dealing with them day in/out.

I lived next door to someone who really shouldn't have had access to guns, and I only found out AFTER his wife kicked him out. If I'd known about the guns I would have raised concerns with the FEO.

When approving a licence the police can only deal with what they see at a snapshot in time, and he was presumably on his best behaviour then. He wouldn't have been pissed, toking on a spliff and randomly smacking his wife round the chops during the home inspection, popping out midway to scream that I'm a who's going to be sorry for asking him about repairing his fence. All amusing in retrospect but how close was someone like that to shooting someone? We'll never know, but I'd dare say a lot closer than most people who shoot.

I don't know if there is a perfect solution but surely whistle-blowing and closer scrutiny if people are raising concerns is a good thing.

[alscar]

Needing now 2 referees plus the MH form signed off by a GP must help.

[AndyAudi]

donkmeister said:

…. surely whistle-blowing and closer scrutiny if people are raising concerns is a good thing.

Genuine concerns I’m kind on board with.
Had the op worded things differently say
“Someone I know has been suspended at work & is facing possible consequences from their governing body, I’m concerned about their mental health as this is impacting them significantly & am wondering if I should be flagging this”. It probably might’ve got a different response. Rightly or wrongly though, some of us read the op’s question as potentially someone being vindictive & looking to impact the individual rather than instigating an intervention.

I have contacted the police to raise concerns before
I also know several people who’ve had guns taken from them temporarily.

[alone wolf]

donkmeister said:

If one of these people is embroiled in a stressful situation where they are likely to feel wronged then they absolutely should have their firearms removed.

+1

[Landlubber]

alone wolf said:

donkmeister said:

If one of these people is embroiled in a stressful situation where they are likely to feel wronged then they absolutely should have their firearms removed.

+1

Bit of an over generalisation i think. I dont know anyone who hasn't been in a stressful situation and or feel wronged, many were firearms owners. You might as well say that someone who does off on a bit of a rant should be raided and all his kitchen knives confiscated, just in case.

[bobtail4x4]

Landlubber said:

alone wolf said:

donkmeister said:

If one of these people is embroiled in a stressful situation where they are likely to feel wronged then they absolutely should have their firearms removed.

+1

Bit of an over generalisation i think. I dont know anyone who hasn't been in a stressful situation and or feel wronged, many were firearms owners. You might as well say that someone who does off on a bit of a rant should be raided and all his kitchen knives confiscated, just in case.

and his car?

[donkmeister]

bobtail4x4 said:

Landlubber said:

alone wolf said:

donkmeister said:

If one of these people is embroiled in a stressful situation where they are likely to feel wronged then they absolutely should have their firearms removed.

+1

Bit of an over generalisation i think. I dont know anyone who hasn't been in a stressful situation and or feel wronged, many were firearms owners. You might as well say that someone who does off on a bit of a rant should be raided and all his kitchen knives confiscated, just in case.

and his car?

They can take mah V8 when they prah it from ma cold dead hands...

But that's a silly comparison isn't it. Yes you can go on a stabby rampage with driving inspired by The Highlander, but neither of those offer the same projection of lethal force at distance so are inherently easier to overcome with or without firearms officers.

[JonnyWhitters]

A very simple and safe bandwagon on which to jump. You might also want to check his shed for fertiliser in case he decides to make a bomb to take out more people in one go.

Instead of looking for ways to make the chap’s current situation worse, why not offer some support or signposting to agencies that could help?

Or is it just about the guns?

[alone wolf]

JonnyWhitters said:

is it just about the guns?

No, I am pro-gun. Full liberty, handguns / assault rifles, the lot. Not an FAC holder though and I've no interest to be part of the club