Tri-force collaboration must improve how they manage firearm licensing to keep the public safe, says HMICFRS

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the collaboration between the three forces has “significant backlogs” in processing firearms and shotgun licence applications and renewals. Inspectors also said it lacks an effective case management system and does not have enough officers and staff to address the volume of outstanding applications.

HMICFRS has therefore issued the tri-force collaboration between Bedfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Hertfordshire Constabulary with a cause of concern. This process can be accelerated when a police force’s failures raise concerns about public safety – as is the case with these three forces.

To address these concerns, HMICFRS has recommended that the collaboration should:

• Make sure all licensing certificates are signed off with proper delegated authority;
• Update its firearms licensing policy and standard operating procedures in line with statutory guidance to create consistency across all three forces;
• Understand the risks the backlog poses and appropriately prioritise licence applications and renewals;
• Review its desk-based shotgun licence renewal process;
• Put in place a governance structure with oversight from senior leaders to make sure the firearms and explosives licensing department functions effectively;
• Improve how it communicates with its officers and staff and with the public;
• Provide enough, sustainable resources to safely manage the workload within the next three months; and
• Make sure all officers and staff have the right skills, training and expertise to do their jobs effectively within the next three months.

His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Roy Wilsher said: “I have issued an accelerated cause of concern as Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire constabularies’ tri-force collaboration doesn’t effectively manage firearms and explosives licensing to keep the public safe.

“In our inspection we found significant backlogs, with some cases outstanding for up to two years. There was limited supervision, not enough training for officers and staff and no standard operating procedure for seizing and revoking firearms licences across the collaboration – creating inconsistencies.

“The desk-based renewal policy for shotgun licences could be leaving the public at risk and poor communication is creating further inefficiencies. For example, at the time of our inspection, we identified 2,190 unanswered emails and there was no phone number to allow the public to receive a prompt response from their firearms and explosive licensing unit.

“The forces must immediately prioritise firearm licensing and renewals. They need to put in place consistent policies, operating procedures and governance structures and this should be supported by enough resources, including officers and staff with the right skills. I am pleased with the forces’ immediate response to our concerns and commitment to improve. I will be closely monitoring their progress.”

The police and crime commissioners (PCCs) for Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire acknowledged that the firearms licensing function “has not provided a good standard of service to the public”.

In a joint statement, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, PCC for Hertfordshire, John Tizard, PCC for Bedfordshire, and Darryl Preston, PCC for Cambridgeshire, said they “fully accept the findings of this report”.

They said: “We welcome the independent and detailed scrutiny of His Majesty’s Inspectorate, which assists us in our role to hold the police to account on behalf of the public.

“The firearms licensing function has not provided a good standard of service to the public over a prolonged period because of unacceptable systemic issues. We have been consistently transparent about this with our communities and recognise the significant impact this continues to have for licence holders and applicants. Firearms licence holders, including many at the heart of our rural communities, have been let down and deserved a better service. They and the wider community rightly expect effective risk management in such a service.

“As PCCs, we have been pressing for improvements on behalf of the public and scrutinising performance through our individual governance meetings with chief constables and through the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire (BCH) Strategic Board.

“On Monday, there will be an extraordinary meeting of the BCH Strategic Board, which will receive an action plan from the three chief constables. They have strengthened leadership and management, as well as the governance of the service. However, we know more needs to be done to improve service levels and effectively manage risk.

“The Inspectorate’s report recognises that there needs to be a step change in the amount of resources deployed but fundamentally major changes are needed in culture, leadership, timeliness, processes, communication and risk management. We agree with these conclusions. They must be addressed. We and the three chief constables are committed to implementing all the recommendations from the Inspectorate robustly and as speedily as possible.

“We will want reassurance that the action plan addresses all the recommendations raised in the HMICFRS report, particularly those relating to risk. We will be monitoring implementation and outcomes and holding the chief constables to account for a step change in performance and customer service.”

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) said the “damning inspection report” underlines long-standing concerns about under-resourced police licensing units.

BASC said the findings mirror those set out in its own firearms licensing report published in July 2025, which showed the unit had gone from being one of the most efficient in the country in 2022 to the worst performing in the UK by 2025. That report identified inadequate resourcing as a central cause, a conclusion now reinforced by HMICFRS.

Despite assurances given to stakeholders at an independent advisory group meeting in February 2025 that a recovery plan was in place, a subsequent meeting in October admitted that performance had deteriorated further.

BASC has consistently warned that delays up to two years undermine public confidence, place unnecessary strain on lawful certificate holders and compromise public safety.

BASC’s head of firearms, Martin Parker said: “This report confirms what BASC has been warning about for some time. Serious failings were already evident and clearly evidenced in our 2025 report, yet the situation has been allowed to worsen. This is unacceptable given the 133 per cent rise in firearms licensing fees.

“HMICFRS has identified poor and inconsistent decision-making as a risk to public safety. That is an administrative and leadership failure, not a failure of firearms law. The legislation is already robust – it is ineffective licensing practice that creates risk.

“Calls to tighten firearms law or to reclassify shotguns ignore the real issue. Public safety is best served by well-trained licensing teams, clear national guidance and timely, evidence-based decision-making – not by adding further complexity to a system that is already struggling to cope.

“We’ll be seeking meetings with the PCCs for each force and we’ll be writing to the MPs for the three counties, asking them to raise this with the policing minister as a matter of urgency.”

BASC said it supports HMICFRS recommendations for improved governance, communication and resourcing, and will continue to press government and policing bodies to ensure firearms licensing is properly funded and fit for purpose.