More than 300 firearms and ammunition were handed in to Dorset Police during a nationally held firearms surrender.
The campaign, led by the National Ballistics Intelligence Service, ran for two weeks and ended last Sunday (26/11).
Items surrendered to Dorset Police are as follows:
· 93 air weapons including air pistols and air rifles
· 13 pistols
· 21 revolvers
· 9 rifles
· 40 shotguns
· 9 deactivated firearms
· 29 imitation firearms
· Ammunition
Michelle Mounsey, Alliance Firearms and Explosives Licensing Manager for the Devon & Cornwall Police and Dorset Police said a number of items handed in during the surrender will be subject to investigative testing. She said: “As a result of this firearms surrender, hundreds of firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition have been taken out of circulation within our communities.
“While not every firearm is owned with the intent of criminal activity, a firearm can become a lethal weapon in the wrong hands. The campaign was very much an opportunity for anyone to hand in illegal, unregistered or unwanted firearms or ammunition without risk of arrest at the point of surrender and while the campaign is now over, I would encourage anyone in possession of such a firearm or ammunition to continue to act responsibly and contact us for safe disposal in order to ensure our communities are a safe place to live.”
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, Martyn Underhill, said: “It’s great that this initiative has been such a success. Many of these items, including imitation or deactivated firearms, can be perceived as safe. In fact, they still have the potential to cause harm in our communities and it is fantastic that these are now out of homes, off our streets and in the hands of the police. I would like to thank all those who engaged with this project.”
