Information
An inspection of firearms licensing across police forces in England and Wales
The Home Secretary commissioned us to carry out an urgent review of Devon and Cornwall Police’s firearms and explosives licensing unit following the inquests into five tragic deaths caused by Jake Davison, who shot and killed five people in 2021.
As part of that review, we confirmed that we would carry out a national thematic inspection of firearms licensing.
In August 2026, we gave the Home Secretary our report on the inspection of firearms licensing in England and Wales. That report included detail of operational matters that weren’t suitable for the public domain. As a result, we have prepared this version of the report with those operational matters excluded.
Our terms of reference were to examine how police forces keep the public safe while making sure that their possession of firearms is lawful.
In this report, we make 23 recommendations.
A copy of the report can be downloaded here
PFCC Response
The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner welcomes this report from HMICFRS. In manty respects it echoes the concerns that she has in relation to firearms licensing. Locally actions have been taken to address many of these issues and concerns, which include regular updates on the FELU functions through her formal accountability board and assurance processes, the monitoring on a regular basis of performance in relation to grants and renewals timeliness and the investment of further staff into this function.
The Commissioner agrees with all of the reports recommendations as she sees them as credible, across the range of areas subject to the inspection, and are sensible aimed at reducing the confusing legislative landscape, for both the public and practitioners, continuing to professionalise this high risk area of business, the better and increased use of technology to better manage demand and better protect the public.
It is her intention to gain formal updates from the Chief Constable relating to the 6 recommendations that relate to them and forces, through her formal monthly accountability process as a part of a wider FELU update relating to performance before the end of 2026.
The Commissioner has some concerns relating to the apparent lack of action relating to previous recommendations from the Home Office and Government in relation to earlier recommendations, not only from HMICFRS inspections, Coroners and other organisations and this affects her levels of confidence on the deliverability of these specific recommendations. She therefore intends to write to appropriate Ministers and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners to seek support for adoption of these recommendations in the timescales suggested within the report.
