license application submitted

[compo90]

Best not to have any friends. How can you know if someone has a criminal record and you shouldn't be mates with them?

 

Some folk are obviously wrong un's and you should be able to tell, but this really is a grey area as most folk when you start to make friends don't ask for your criminial resume' or lack of one.

[Rewulf]

You may be asked to attend a 'suitability ' interview.

This is not part of the FEO s visit ,it is done at a police station and is taped and sort of done under caution.

You are not under arrest,and it is usually done by a specialist firearms case investigator.

When I had mine ,nobody I spoke to about it had ever heard of one being done,but when I queried it I was told it was going to be quite normal from now on (about a year ago )

I was asked some very searching questions about past transgressions dating back to when I was 15,a drink driving conviction from 30 years ago (I was asked what my reading was,and why I did it.

Personal relationships,lifestyle, I was even accused of ABH on a girlfriend called Lyndsey (I have never committed any such offence and never had a girlfriend called Lyndsey !) then accused of using an alias,and having difficulties controlling my anger (I smashed a window by accident once)

There were many instances in the 1.5 hr long interview where there were (I believe) deliberate attempts to make me angry, but I am ,and always have been very calm and laid back.

If you do get called in for one of these ,my advice is to tell the absolute truth (they know everything anyway) and keep calm,as I reckon any sign of you getting rattled or visibly annoyed will go against you.

[Gordon R]

You may be asked to attend a 'suitability ' interview.

This is not part of the FEO s visit ,it is done at a police station and is taped and sort of done under caution.

 

Cautions are only administered when the Police suspect an offence has been committed. I don't think your "interview" had anything to do with a licence.

[kdubya]

My renewals been with them since 26/11/14 runs out 27/03/15, phone last week they say they didn't have it? Odd that they cashed the cheque on 03/12/14

thank christ I am in cleveland

 

KW

[Rewulf]

 

Cautions are only administered when the Police suspect an offence has been committed. I don't think your "interview" had anything to do with a licence.

I did say 'sort of' ,as in, lying to the police or government official to try to obtain something (like an FAC) could be considered a criminal act could it not?

There for you are cautioned to tell the truth,or there could be repercussions ?

And I can assure you it was certainly only to do with a licence application,what exactly are you implying Gordon ?

[Gordon R]

What I am saying is, I cannot comprehend why a caution would be administered.

 

PACE Code G covers this:-

 

Cautions - when a caution must be given (taken from Code C section 10)

3.1 A person whom there are grounds to suspect of an offence (see Note 2) must be

cautioned before any questions about an offence, or further questions if the answers

provide the grounds for suspicion, are put to them if either the suspect’s answers or

silence, (i.e. failure or refusal to answer or answer satisfactorily) may be given in

evidence to a court in a prosecution. A person need not be cautioned if questions are

for other necessary purposes

[Rewulf]

As I am sure you are aware,deliberately misleading,lying or the leaving out of relevant information on an FAC/SGC application form and/or doing the same in a verbal interview with an FEO can result in a grant or renewal being refused.

The 'caution ' went more along a warning about this.

It was not, as I remember a PACE style caution.

That's why I said 'sort of' ,but like I advised the OP ,trying to lie or mislead will get your app a short trip to the bin ,simply because you lied.

[Gordon R]

I have never heard of the Police taping little chats about firearms applications either.

[Rewulf]

As I said,nobody I spoke to had heard of it either.

Its maybe something that is peculiar to Notts.

But after the interview was concluded ,I asked it that was a normal part of the process ,as no one I knew had ever heard of such a thing taking place.

I was told it was perfectly normal and is part of a more aggressive screening policy.

This was an SGC app too,and I must say I left the interview feeling it would not be granted due to me being such a terrible person!

I have not been in any police trouble for 16 years,never been convicted of a violent crime or robbery,Probably the worst thing on my record is a minor fraud matter and a minor drug offence (possession of cannabis) from 20 years ago, just to clarify I'm not some kind of shadowy underworld figure

[Gordon R]

Perhaps you could publish the transcript, as you would have been offered a copy at the end of the "interview". It might assist others who might be subjected to this hitherto unheard of "aggressive screening policy".

 

Other Nottinghamshire members could enlighten us, if it has happened to them.

[Bazooka Joe]

Perhaps you could publish the transcript, as you would have been offered a copy at the end of the "interview". It might assist others who might be subjected to this hitherto unheard of "aggressive screening policy".

 

Other Nottinghamshire members could enlighten us, if it has happened to them.

 

Yep, fire it up, I can see Durham taking this on.

 

How would you stand then if you didn't attend this "aggressive screening policy", since it's the first I've heard of it, so it won't be compulsory.

[Gordon R]

I'm amazed BASC haven't been informed about it. A real bombshell.

 

I think most people would be asking for the Duty Solicitor if they were "cautioned" and subjected to a taped interview.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Gordon R

[Rewulf]

I would also be interested to see what BASCs take on this is,as Im sure Im not the only person who has had this.

I was offered a copy of the interview in the form of a CD/DVD so there wasnt actually a written transcript,and I was asked at the beginning if I required legal advice.

I declined both,but was told I could have a copy at any time,the interviewer also took lots of notes.

The questions asked are probably specific to each applicant,and Im not saying for one moment that everyone who has been naughty in the past will get one,what I am saying,and I discussed this with the FEO when he did my home visit,that you must tell the truth.

He told me of several instances where people had told silly lies,ie :a man lied about how far over the drink drive limit he had been,saying he had been 'just over' when he was in fact,two and a half times over,end result application refused.

Whether Gordon believes I had the interview or not ,the FEO will ask questions when he visits,same difference ,tell the truth about past transgressions with the law or the mere fact of being dishonest with them ,paints you as a dishonest (unsuitable ) applicant.

Im pretty certain everyone who holds FAC/SGC knows this,I posted this for the benefit of the OP who may not.

Edited March 7, 2015 by Rewulf

[Gordon R]

Rewulf - it is not a question of not believing, it just sounds like a straightforward Interview under Caution, conducted under PACE. Interviewed at Police Station, interview taped, offered legal representation, offered a copy of the interview CD etc. As such, the chances of Joe Public getting one, when applying for a licence, are just about zero, in my experience.

 

Police cannot just caution someone on a whim.

 

I will wait for BASC views on this new, unheard of, "aggressive screening policy", before making up my own mind.

[ordnance]

 

the FEO will ask questions when he visits,same difference ,tell the truth about past transgressions with the law or the mere fact of being dishonest with them ,paints you as a dishonest (unsuitable ) applicant.

Im pretty certain everyone who holds FAC/SGC knows this,I posted this for the benefit of the OP who may not

I have never being asked about past convictions etc, by a FEO. That's what the convictions part of the FAC application is for.

Edited March 7, 2015 by ordnance

[David BASC]

I don't know of or have never heard of this practice, but will ask our firearms team on Monday. It would be good to see a copy of the interview too, to see exactly what questions were asked and in what context

 

David

[wickedandlazee]

Am I missing something here? I'm not trying to be awkward but you have listed firearms adjacent to your avatar but say you have just submitted your application. Is this a wish list or firearms you used to own?

It was firearms I used to own and hopefully will again. Thanks for all support guys. Will let you know. Rules state 5 years after a suspended sentence which has now passed. I no longer associate with people I used to and have a senior management position and some good referees now so hopefully all of that will be enough

[Scully]

It was firearms I used to own and hopefully will again. Thanks for all support guys. Will let you know. Rules state 5 years after a suspended sentence which has now passed. I no longer associate with people I used to and have a senior management position and some good referees now so hopefully all of that will be enough

Ah, with you. Thanks for that.

[David BASC]

Regarding Notts, checked with one of our firearms team last night, and he had not heard of this being anything like common practice.

[Rewulf]

Must of imagined it then

[ordnance]

 

 

and he had not heard of this being anything like common practice.

 

When he said not common practice, was he saying it does happen. ?

Edited March 8, 2015 by ordnance

[Davyo]

I have heard of it happening in Durham,but not under caution.

[David BASC]

No one is suggesting you imagined anything, recorded interviews at the station may happen, all be it very rarely, and will be due to specific issues around the applicant

[Rewulf]

Ok ,lets try and put this to bed.

All I tried to do was give the OP an idea of what might happen.

 

1.I never said it was a police interview done under caution,I said 'sort of' ,I even said it was not a PACE style caution.

 

2.It was taped and at the end a CD was burned ,so no transcript except for the written notes taken,I was offered a copy but didnt bother.

 

3.I never said it was common practice,as far as I could gather it was a new practice,it may have been something they tried and didnt use for long.

 

4.When I said I must of imagined it,I was obviously being flippant due to the accusatory nature of a member whos practice appears to be to call into question the integrity of people who post on PW.

 

5.The specific issue that David mentions is probably the ABH issue of which I was wrongly accused,I wont go into detail because it would take far too long,but it was me who was assaulted by a man called Lyndsey,and quite badly injured,He was arrested and decided to use the defence of me assaulting him.

It got him no where and he was convicted,but somewhere along the way I was arrested and charged then virtually immediately charges dropped.

The interviewer wrongly saw it as a conviction on my file of ABH against a woman, which was quickly cleared up.

However ,I never mentioned it on the app form ,basically because I didnt have to and I had pretty much forgotten about it (it was 20 years ago)

 

Hopefully that clears this up.