Almost half of all firearms licence checks in Sussex took longer than the 120-day target over the past six months, Deputy Chief Constable Paul Court told a “performance and accountability” meeting.
The performance is an improvement on figures from January when just a quarter were processed within the target time.
Sussex police and crime commissioner Katy Bourne told the meeting yesterday (Thursday 18 June) that she had a busy inbox as a result.
Mrs Bourne said that Sussex was one of the worst-performing forces in the country when it came to processing new firearms licences and renewals within the four-month target.
She said: “What brought this home to me was I’ve been doing a series of rural crime ‘round tables’ with farmers and everybody who has an interest in our rural communities – and this has been brought up at every single one.
“We’ve got people there who use firearms as part of their daily business.”
Mr Court said that Sussex had one of the highest volumes of firearms licences to process in the country.
In the year to June, Sussex Police has processed 850 new firearms licences and 3,100 licence renewals.
Mrs Bourne received figures from the National Police Chiefs’ Council Firearms and Explosives Licensing Working Group in January.
The figures suggested that only 25.35 per cent were processed within the time limit but Mr Court said that matters had improved since the figures were reported earlier this year.
Over the past six months, 52 per cent of all licence applications were completed within 120 days, with the average applications taking 97 days.
The Home Office has standardised how the 120 days are counted – from the point when the application is received rather than when it is allocated to an officer.
Mr Court said that the changes to the guidelines had added a “burden” to the process, with Sussex Police having to take on more staff.
Every applicant now has to be seen in person and the government has also increased the number of referees that people need – and they all need to be vetted and interviewed.
When an application is received, police are also expected to interview everyone living over the age of 18 at the same address.
Partners and former partners in the past 10 years are among those required to be interviewed along with every adult member of the applicant’s household. Social media is also checked.
Mr Court said: “The burden, the effort to put a licence through the guidance has changed significantly. In that context we have done well.”
The force is aiming to reach 80 per cent of licences processed in 120 days.”
