TRAINING has been given to 26 PSNI staff involved in the firearms licensing process by the UK’s largest shooting organisation, The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC).
The training was given to Firearms Enquiry Officers (FEOs), Senior Firearms Licensing Managers (SFLMs) and a number of other senior Firearms and Explosives Branch (FEB) staff.
The course was designed to give participants an enhanced appreciation of firearms licensing from the perspective of a sporting shooter and covered shooting seasons, quarry species and the need for sound moderators. The three-day course culminated in a practical day spent on a rifle range.
Tommy Mayne, BASC NI director, said: “We welcome the collaborative approach taken by PSNI’s Firearms and Explosives Branch. We were glad to have an opportunity to build relationships with the staff involved in processing our members’ firearms licence applications and we look forward to exploring other opportunities for collaborative working in the future.”
Michaela Fox, PSNI Senior Explosives Liaison Officer, said: “BASC provided some very informative training in an informal setting which facilitated a lot of discussion about our different perspectives. I hope this is the beginning of a more collaborative working relationship going forward.”
Oliver McCullough, a member of BASC Council and chairman of the BASC Northern Ireland Advisory Committee, said: “Co-operation is based on relationships and a shared understanding of respective viewpoints. I welcome this joint approach.”