Hampshire Constabulary has seen a total of 70 firearms handed in as part of a 2-week surrender campaign.
The Firearms Surrender launched on 20th July and urged people to take the opportunity to hand in any unwanted or illegal firearms to police, so that they could be disposed of safely.
During that fortnight some 31 handguns, 12 shotguns, 24 rifles, 2 starting canons, 1 machine gun and 2 non-descript guns were recovered alongside 23 quantities of ammunition in Hampshire. In Lymington, a member of the public handed in a rocket launcher to local Police.
Other surrendered items include deactivated and imitation firearms, BB guns and Tasers.
Hampshire joined police forces across the country to take part in the national campaign run by the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS). During the 2-week campaign, those surrendering firearms did not face prosecution for the illegal possession upon surrender and could remain anonymous.
Chief Inspector Karen McManus, Tactical Firearms Lead for Hampshire and Thames Valley, said:
“We would like to thank everyone who handed in any firearms or ammunition as part of this surrender.
“This means that there are 80 fewer firearms and imitation firearms on our streets which could have easily fallen into the hands of criminals. As a result our neighbourhoods are much safer, both for our residents and for our officers who work every day and night to protect them.
Article continues below this advertisement “We are very pleased that so many people took the opportunity to take part in this initiative and the number of firearms recovered certainly proves how valuable such a surrender is.
“Gun crime is low in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and has not seen a rise others force areas have, however we cannot be complacent and we will continue to do all we can to make our communities safer.”
Now that the surrender is finished, if you find a firearm or are uncertain about the lawful possession of a firearm, call Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
How does somebody end up with a rocket launcher! Can you immagine handing that in 😀 you might get some looks in the police station. Good to get all those weapons to safety.