'Drastic' cut in number of temporary gun permits

The number of temporary gun permits issued by Devon and Cornwall Police has "drastically reduced" since the Plymouth mass shooting, the force's police and crime commissioner (PCC) has said.

PCC Alison Hernandez told the police and crime panel an average of four temporary certificates were now being issued every month.

In August 2021 Jake Davison, 22, used a legally-held shotgun to kill his mother and four others before shooting himself.

The force was heavily criticised at an inquest into the shootings for its "extraordinary high reliance" on temporary permits amid long delays in processing times.

It said it had since invested more than £1m to train officers and the workforce was now more than double the size it used to be.

Maxine Davison, 51, Lee Martyn, 43, his daughter Sophie, three, Kate Shepherd, 66, and Stephen Washington, 59, were killed in the shootings in the Keyham area of Plymouth on 12 August 2021.

The 50-year-old licensing system is being reformed after the inquest found "catastrophic failings" allowed Davison to possess the shotgun legally.

His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services said in June 2023 it still had concerns over the force's licensing backlog and the "improper use" of temporary permits.

At the time of inspection, the force had 3,698 temporary permits out of a total of 37,885 licences, compared to a licensing unit elsewhere in the country where 10 were temporary from a total of 35,000.

Inspectors found temporary permits, which require a lower level of checks than licences or renewals, were being used to help manage volumes, contrary to statutory guidance and this "must stop".

Ms Hernandez told the crime panel the force used temporary permits following an influx of applications, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

She said that was no longer happening and the number being issued had "drastically reduced”.

She said: “We still have some we need to resolve, but have stopped the proactive use of temporary licences in the department.

“It used to be normal practice, but it’s not good practice and it’s different now."

Follow BBC Cornwall on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Follow BBC Devon on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].