David Gardner, deputy chief constable of Warwickshire Police and NPCC firearms licensing lead, has called for greater consistency, efficiency and public safety across the firearms licensing system. Speaking at the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation conference, Gardner acknowledged broad agreement between stakeholders on key issues but warned that significant reforms are still needed to maintain public trust and reduce risk.
Gardner was clear that, despite improvements, the system is not yet fully robust. “We cannot, hand on heart, say we are presiding over a system that removes all the risk it can,” he said. He emphasised that the responsibility for issuing “thousands of lethal weapons” lies with the police, and that this must be accompanied by rigorous, risk-based processes.
A major concern raised was the uneven performance between forces. While some constabularies are improving their turnaround times, others remain significantly behind, undermining confidence in the system. Gardner cautioned that the drive for speed must not come at the expense of public safety. “The performance debate mustn’t eclipse the public safety debate,” he said, adding that efficiency, consistency and risk management must work together.
Technology was a central theme. Gardner described the current National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS) as “more of a hinderance than a help”, and said its long-awaited replacement must genuinely improve the licensing process. “Technology needs to be an enabler, not an additional burden,” he told delegates, highlighting the need for better data sharing and real-time risk assessment capabilities.
He also addressed calls for a national licensing body to improve consistency. While he acknowledged that a centralised system could solve many issues, Gardner highlighted the practical obstacles involved. “The practicalities of moving to a national function are immense,” he said, suggesting that more can be achieved by improving cooperation between existing forces.
Despite acknowledging the challenges, Gardner was clear that lawful gun owners are not the focus of mistrust. Rather, the aim is to ensure that the system itself is resilient enough to prevent rare but devastating failures. “It is not about distrusting certificate holders,” he said. “It is about making sure the process that brings them into the fold is watertight.”