Police Commissioner: Keyham’s legacy must be a safer firearms licensing system

by Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner

For more than four weeks an inquest has been held into the deaths of the five people killed in a mass shooting on August 12, 2021.

Over that period the jury have heard from key people, including police officers who investigated a violent assault by the perpetrator committed some weeks before that terrible night, a teacher who supported his application for a shotgun certificate, the firearms officer who made the decision to grant one, and the individual who handed the weapon back to him when they deemed it safe to do so.

The inquest has now concluded, and I have issued a statement to the press separately in response to this.

I can only imagine how difficult the hearings must have been for the family members who lost loved ones, especially when they heard that the perpetrator had exhibited warning signs indicating he should not be anywhere near a gun.

On Thursday, the force publicly apologised for mistakes it made. One of the points of an inquest is so these mistakes can be acknowledged in a forum that is open to the press and public, public bodies can be held to account and lessons can be learned.

A ‘prevention of future deaths’ report will be provided by the coroner which forces around the country and our Government will heed.

Devon and Cornwall Police has not waited for the coroner’s conclusions to make changes. A Home Office call for forces to review firearms licenses following the Keyham shooting led to it seizing 12 weapons. New staff and leadership have been put in place.

Unfortunately, though, it seems similar activity is not taking place elsewhere in the country, with only nine weapons seized by England and Wales’ 42 other forces in response to that recommendation.

I hope Mr Arrow’s report initiates a new round of questions being asked by firearms departments as to whether they have people in their community who have access to weapons who should not. The tragic shooting of Epsom School headteacher Emma Pattison and her daughter Lettie in Surrey would indicate that this country needs to take another hard look at those who legally possess guns.

While the shooting community is for the most part made up of law abiding and responsible individuals who make up a significant section of our population in Devon and Cornwall, I want more to be done to reassure myself and the communities I serve that sufficient checks are being made on individuals who apply for a shotgun certificate or firearms licence.

Since the shooting I have gone to great lengths to ensure that the force has in place a new Chief Constable with the experience and skills needed to oversee significant change, not only in the firearms licensing but in other areas of the force which are not working as well as our communities deserve.

I have worked with the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Plymouth City Council to fund a significant package of measures to support Keyham residents and bereaved families, and I have instructed my office to assist the force in better understanding the risks it holds within its firearms licensing department.

Real change has taken place in our force. The most senior officer to give evidence at the inquest, Chief Superintendent Roy Linden, acknowledged on Wednesday, February 15, that the perpetrator should not have been granted a shotgun certificate in the first place, should not have had his weapon returned to him, and said that had he applied for it today his request would have been refused.

I believe systemic problems in firearms licensing must be dealt with by Government and will be writing to the Home Secretary to say so. A review eight years ago, led by former Devon and Cornwall Chief Constable Stephen Otter, warned that ‘inconsistent and inadequate’ regimes were putting the public at risk and we can only conclude that his warning should have prompted more immediate action.

Another problem highlighted by Police and Crime Commissioners is the way that forces effectively subsidise shooting, with the costs of their licensing departments outstripping the income received from application fees. This is clearly an issue which needs addressing.

The shooting in Plymouth was the worst crime to have been committed in our force area in living memory. Policing now owes it to those who lost their lives, and their families, to ensure that real and effective improvements are made to keep our public safe.

Support is still available for anyone affected by the events in Keyham from Plymouth Together at plymouthtogether.co.uk. Practical and emotional help for victims of crime in Devon and Cornwall can be accessed by calling Victim Support on 08081689111 or visiting www.victimsupport.org.uk.

Jurors at the inquest held at Exeter Racecourse gave their conclusions this afternoon (Monday, February 20), ruling each victim of Keyham killed by gunman Jake Davison was unlawfully killed.