A two week-long firearms amnesty launched today across Greater Manchester, designed to take lethal weapons off the streets and ultimately save lives. The National Firearm Surrender campaign, co-ordinated by the National Ballistics Intelligence Service, runs until May 29 within every police force in the UK, including Greater Manchester Police.
Officers are urging the public to hand over firearms during the period of the fortnight-long surrender. The surrender isn't just aimed at criminals. It's also aimed at collectors, licence holders or anyone who has inherited a firearm.
Greater Manchester Police said many firearms are held in 'innocence and ignorance of their illegality' - or may be have been forgotten inside people's homes. But the force said firearms can be converted into potentially deadly weapons.
In a statement launching the campaign GMP said: "Firearms legislation is regularly updated and officers from GMP are urging people to surrender unlawfully held or unwanted guns and ammunition to help avoid them getting into the wrong hands.
"This surrender is not just targeting those involved in criminal behaviour, it's also aimed at collectors, licence holders and anyone who has inherited a firearm. Many firearms may be held in innocence and ignorance of their illegality or may be forgotten in people's homes.
"Legislation around firearms is regularly updated and changed and members of the public are advised of the risk of having firearms which could end up being illegal. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that they meet the relevant ownership requirements.
"Handing in unwanted, unlicensed and illegal weapons avoids the risk of them becoming involved in criminality and means that members of communities can dispose of firearms in a safe place through the annual surrender. Illegal possession of a firearm can result in a sentence of up to five years in prison and anyone found guilty of possession with intent to supply could be sentenced to life in prison."
More than 200 firearms were handed in to police in Greater Manchester during a two-week amnesty in 2019. They included an AK-47 and an Uzi sub-machine gun. Both were deactivated, but police chiefs stressed they looked real and could have been used for crime in the wrong hands. A huge, deactivated Bren machine gun dating back to the Second World War was also given up during the Manchester-wide surrender.
Superintendent John Griffiths, of GMP's Serious Crime Division, said: "We are absolutely committed to robustly investigating serious crime, specifically targeting those in possession or transferring firearms as they pose a real, serious threat to not only the Greater Manchester region, but all across the UK.
"Detectives across the force and those within our serious crime division investigate those involved in firearms on a daily basis and a 30 per cent drop in discharges over the last 12 months across the region is a testament of this – but there's still work to do be done and we’re determined to rid these lethal weapons from our streets."
In north Manchester, the force said that figure currently stands at 90 per cent. Figures show that in 2020-1, GMP recovered 120 guns through investigations, with 12 of them said to be 'blank firers' capable of being converted. That figure represents more than double seized over the preceding two years.
The surrender also covers ammunition, stun guns, Tasers and CS-gas. At the point of surrendering a firearm, anyone handing one over will not be prosecuted.
Supt Griffiths added: "This firearm surrender gives those with firearms and ammunition an opportunity to hand them in. Anyone who may have a firearm in their house that may have been inherited, or found, or is being kept for someone else, is urged to hand it to us and free themselves of the burden.
"Criminals who are in possession of firearms or ammunition are urged to hand their items over - this surrender is an opportunity to make the streets safer and if those involved in criminality don’t wish to hand the items over - it's only a matter of time before we find them ourselves and bring you to justice.
"Lawful gun license-holders are also encouraged to use the surrender for weapons they no longer have any use for, or even those who have inherited items from grandparents who have passed - this is the time to hand those items in.
"A number of legislative changes have taken place and people may not be aware that an inherited firearm or once legally owned firearm are now illegal. Anyone in possession of a firearm should check the legal status of their items by visiting www.nabis.police.uk.
"Every firearm surrendered is one less that criminals can potentially access and use to cause damage and harm in communities and I would urge people to hand them in at any GMP station. Firearms can always come into the wrong hands and by giving a firearm up, you may be saving a life."
Firearms can be handed over at Greater Manchester's main police stations in all 10 boroughs.
