"A costly and bureaucratic mistake": BASC response to Scottish

[Simon Clarke]

Airgun licensing in Scotland a costly and bureaucratic mistake

To see this press release on the BASC website, please click here.

A system to license the estimated half-a-million airguns in Scotland will be a costly and bureaucratic mistake, brought in as airgun crime has fallen by 75%, according to Scotland’s largest shooting organisation, BASC Scotland.

BASC Scotland says airgun licensing is unnecessary, costly and impractical, despite the Scottish Government’s publication of the Air Weapons and Licensing (Scotland) Bill. It flies in the face of evidence, the results of the public consultation and fails on every principle of good regulation.

BASC says a licensing system will place unnecessary burdens on police time and budgets, will only be taken up by already law-abiding airgun users, and will have little effect on criminal misuse.

Dr Colin Shedden, director of BASC Scotland, said: “Offences involving air weapons in Scotland have fallen by 75% in recent years. In 2006-07 there was a ten-year-peak of 683 air weapon offences. In 2012-13, after six years of steady decline, there were 171 offences. In addition, all firearms offences are now at the lowest level since records began. Airguns are already extensively regulated by law, with more than thirty offences on the statute books. Bringing in this legislation will not deter those who are already determined to break the law.”

“The drop in crimes has been achieved by the Scottish Government, Police Scotland and shooting organisations such as BASC working together to improve education and enforcement of existing legislation. Further work in this direction would reap greater benefits than a disproportionate, expensive and bureaucratic licensing system that would have to accommodate the estimated 500,000 air weapons in Scotland. Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill recently announced that this “education and enforcement” approach has also proved successful in reducing knife crime in the west of Scotland. If this is good enough for knife crime why would anyone think that licensing of all air weapons in Scotland, and all those brought in by visitors, is proportional, practical or affordable?”

“Currently, 60,000 people in Scotland already hold firearms licences. Increasing the licensing requirement to cover hundreds of thousands of people in Scotland plus visitors will place existing Police Scotland licensing staff under a massive administrative burden when offences have fallen significantly and the police are subject to pressure on both budgets and staffing.”

ENDS

[utectok]

I really can't believe this what a numpty :(

[Kes]

This proposal will be seen for what it is if it is given sufficient publicity in Scotland - see some comments from Scots above.

Getting the visibility to a sensible response will affect far more than this wild and ludicrous policy, it will have an effect on the forthcoming vote and, given rural Scotland's link to Game and Deer shooting, the prospect of more 'consultation ignoring' law making will not be lost on a wide section of Scotland's communities. Their way of life will change for the worse as tradition is sacrificed for votes.

[secretagentmole]

Now think how many innocent people each year are injured by bicycles, think how many bicycles are used in criminal acts, why are bicycles not being licensed in Scotland? It is very possible to die after being hit by a bicycle, whether ridden or thrown!

 

Time to license bicycles according to this logic!

[peek-at]

Ludicrous proposal!

 

Those ignoring current laws and possessing or using air rifles illegally are not going to be registering their guns anyway.....so who is the proposal actually targetting?

 

BASC are spot on too with the point about police admin of it all. The police are squeezed on budgets/staffing as it is and will absolutely will not be able to cope. That is fact!

[shootinfishin]

They want to be able to throw the book at someone when they do act stupidly with an air rifle, basically creating the new offence or adding to the original offence of having an unregistered firearm.

 

Like all **** new things it gets thrust upon us up here first before the rest of the UK.

 

There's talk of England and Wales following suit afterward however I'm hoping it's such a spectacular failure that doesn't happen

[utectok]

I'm afraid the current let's consult and then ignore it policy at unholyrood is really unbelievable :(

Edited May 18, 2014 by utectok

[utectok]

my advice is email…...

According to the latest news an Airgun Licencing Bill has been introduced. The voices of over 22,000 people have been ignored, the responses of 87% of the responses to the consulation have been ignored. The rights of up to 500,000 Scots have been trampled on and thousands of people now face criminalisation.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-27420858

As well as continuing to exploit a very tragic but very very rare incident. MacAskill also stated

"As well as causing daily anti-social behaviour and vandalism they can also cause horrific injuries to wildlife and family pets by those who maliciously target animals."

The justice secretary said the licensing regime for air weapons represented an "important first step" towards devolving all powers on firearms to Holyrood, something the Scottish government has been pressing the UK government for.

I think it would be clear to anyone with half a brain that airguns or indeed any firearm are not a cause of anti social behaviour or vandalism. If they were then airgun crime would be huge but instead gun owners are amongst the most law abiding people in society. Anti social behavour is the by product of poverty, drugs and other social situations.

I strongly urge everyone to immediately contact their MSP and register their protest at this outrage. I would make it clear that unless they oppose this bill it will affect how you vote.

www.writetothem.com offers an easy facility to do this. We must swamp them with Emails to highlight the massive opposition to this.

I personally am not happy at the prospect of having my liberties infringed upon by a man I did not vote for, within a Government I did not vote for. Is this a sign of what things will be like in an independent Scotland? Governments riding roughshod over the freedoms of individuals? Why are law abiding people being punished for the actions of criminals.

I don't shoot airguns but as a law abiding person I wish to be free to take up this hobby without unjustified draconian legislation that only adds costs and is designed to put people off from shooting.

We cannot afford to let this rest. We need to ask ourselves whether airgun owners or another type of firearms enthusiast. "What are we prepared to do to protect our rights?"

Kenny MacAskill has made it clear he wants to go after section 2 shotguns next. We are all in this together and must unite.

Are we going to stand up and be counted which will involve sacrificing time and a bit of effort or are we going to give up?

Please share this message where ever you can.

Cheers Will