| Thames Valley Police is appealing to the public to hand in any unwanted, unlicensed or illegal guns during a national surrender of firearms and ammunition.
The surrender, which starts on Thursday 12th May and will run until Sunday 29th May, is coordinated by the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS) and supported by police forces. During this period, those surrendering firearms will not face prosecution for illegally possessing them at the point of surrender and can remain anonymous. Many firearms are held in ignorance of their illegality or are overlooked and forgotten in people’s homes. Some firearms are held legally and are no longer required. Other firearms are acquired and distributed by criminal networks to harm, threaten and intimidate their local communities. The national surrender gives people the chance to hand in firearms and ammunition by simply taking them to a local police station. Guns and ammunition can be surrendered at a front counter at designated police stations across the Thames Valley, anyone handing in a firearm or ammunition is advised to only visit the police stations listed.
If individuals are unable to travel to a police station, or have concerns about transporting a firearm to a police front counter then they should contact police via 101 and arrange for the firearm to be collected. Head of Firearms at Thames Valley Police, Superintendent Gavin Wong said: “The fight against gun crime is stronger than ever and we are working with partners and our local communities to safeguard, educate and intervene at the earliest opportunity.“ “If you know of people involved in illegal firearms call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.” Firearms surrenders allow law enforcement to examine the history and use of a firearm prior to its surrender. Any possession or use of the gun prior to its surrender may therefore legitimately be considered for investigation or prosecution. |
Last modified: May 9, 2022
