The Metropolitan Police’s head of firearms licensing - FieldsportsChannel Podcast, episode 62

[@colinjohnston5465]

I've got a huge amount of respect for Inspector Downs for coming out and facing the public in this manner.

[@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069]

And today another METROPOLITAN POLICE FIREARMS OFFICER been found guilty of countless Rapes and assault , and to topp it off he was convicted of burglary before he joined the force , these people like your fool up there on the stage acting like a celebrity make me sick

[@stuartArmourer]

💯% agree

[@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069]

@@stuartArmourer 👍🍻

[@stuartArmourer]

@@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069 if more people spoke out like yourself we had a public enquiry into police force.. Thank you

[@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069]

@@stuartArmourer I'm not too popular with my opinions mate , you tube are always removing my vids 🤣👍🍻

[@stuartArmourer]

@@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069 possibly because you are saying things that are true and accurate... It's amazing what gets allowed and not allowed... Keep your comments coming 👍

[@ddot2016]

When someone is killed by a driver does the government restrict the rights of every driver? No because it would be irrational, and amounts to collective punishment, so why does this happen to gun owners every time? Collective punishment is a punishment on a group for acts allegedly perpetrated by a member of that group. Because individuals who are not responsible for the wrong acts are targeted, collective punishment is not compatible with the basic principle of individual responsibility. Collective punishment is prohibited by Article 3 of the Geneva Convention.

[@callumhepworth-smith6376]

Well done for coming out to explain things, but why is there such a difference in criteria from force to force???

[@TheBladerunner1975]

abuse of power they can say and do what they like

[@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069]

As my comments are being deleted I can only assume I'm either telling the truth or hit a raw nerve that will only prove me correct by answering, hence delete it

[@adl2005]

Freedom of speech out the window.

[@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069]

@@adl2005 sadly mate , only asked a civil question

[@tikkathreebarrels]

Why not make your comments again and see what happens? You've got a post uphill from this one so it would be good to see what the issue was which caused deletion?

[@fieldsportstv]

Sorry that KZbin is deleting your comments. We have no control over what they do. We don't delete comments. / Charlie

[@ddoherty5956]

@@fieldsportstv Not even Pete Graham's🤣🤣🤣 These interviews are great Charlie, shame the opportunity to do them is so infrequent. Great job 👍

[@davidsimpson2685]

And in the future when the majority of us can’t afford a vehicle can you imagine getting on public transport with two dogs and a gun for a day out in the middle of nowhere .

[@jizzmonkey9679]

It is unbelievable how little the average PC plod on the street knows about firearms

[@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069]

Its unbelievable how little some armed police actually know about firearms as well , quite frightening Tbh

[@nothingtoseehere7903]

If the average PC could take apart an AK47 blindfolded, it would make a blind bit of difference in terms of their day duties. The average PC has very little contact with licensed firearms holders or guns in general

[@jizzmonkey9679]

@nothingtoseehere7903 when they don't know the firearms laws it does make a difference

[@robertmitchell8423]

That was a very balanced report and the contributors should be very proud of their humility and straightforwardness - thank goodness I am in the Met area!

[@forddude1976]

He comes across as a nice reasonable guy. The lady that came out and assed me was great, but I was completely honest so I had no problems but it did take 11 months. And have been happily shooting clays for five months and missing a few lol 😂

[@keithgubbin2354]

I have found the Met to have been nothing but highly professional, excellent communicators and extremely user friendly. Well done and keep up the good work!

[@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069]

Maybe the Met should reinstate OPERATION TRIDENT and really put a dent in gun and knife crime.

[@nothingtoseehere7903]

The politicians made them Stop because it was allegedly racist or something

[@megdye236]

One of the big problems, not just in firearms licensing but across the board is lack of resources, stressed, overworked and poorly led staff make more mistakes. This of course raises the question of who should pay. License holders only pay a fraction of the cost of licensing the general public is, or would be if aware , outraged by this. On the other hand the rules are forced on shooters by the public. As for myself I suppose I take a middle road and feel we could pay a bit more assuming our extra contribution gives a better service.

[@welditmick]

"Who should pay". As all police services are derived from 'tax', everyone puts in the pot. IE- I also help pay for a library service, leisure facilities etc which i do not use it, but still contribute. Should i expect a reduction then?

[@haydenbrown8421]

See what is happening in New Zealand. I have just been interviewed for my dealers license that expired in November 2021 and my current yearly license for 2022-23 is in the system now which should be valid from November this year.The NZ Police are 18 months behind and are trying to take in 500 staff to try to deal with the backlog. They have made a rod from there own back and the dealers application is 44 pages every year and valid for one year. It is not the money it costs but the system, it does not improve the outcome for law abiding license holders. Obviously we are not alone. The process to become a dealer here in New Zealand requires a 44 page application, three referees, one whom is you wife etc. The vetting staff are good but they too are disillusioned with the process, much of it is needless and irrelevant designed by beauracrats and people who like to wield power, not gun users and law abiding owners. Let’s hope it improves, in the meantime we wait, and wait….

[@E6EES]

@@welditmick we need to start looking at this from the non shooting perspective. They would happily pay for such community services at the expense of stopping public gun ownership. In other words the majority have the same attitude as you but on the other side of the fence. Our sports are in genuine danger of being banned. We need to engage, educate and get rid of this us and them attitude. If paying our way is part of it then I say so be it.

[@megdye236]

@@E6EES very well said.

[@megdye236]

@@welditmick I don’t think we should shoulder the whole burdon but we need to work in the context of general public that doesn’t want us shooting full stop Let alone having to pay for us. Consider education. Paid through taxation but university still requires top up fees.

[@adl2005]

My mate put his grant in had home visit cheque cashed and he's still waiting, been a year now.

[@adl2005]

Forgot to say Durham area.

[@rsm_me171]

may be there is a mild if not major fault in the whole in the shooting community , field sports image is flutes in tweeds , maybe the whole community should look at families and not so much stereo typing, involve all shooting sports from rifles to even airsoft as an introduction to guns and make it more about gun safety and fun , stop with the segregation in all shooting sports.then the community may grow large enough which would force the system to update itself

[@angrybadger69]

Until the govt level bureaucracy is both slimmed down and consolidated countrywide, this will continue to be a postcode lottery. I'm in West Mercia and they have been nothing but awesome... well done gents, please keep it up!

[@bobbythompson3544]

Can anyone explain? Northern Ireland’s Firearms Dept at the PSNI went computerised exclusively, but now we are down to an 11 month wait again as it was years ago, this is putting the industry through a terrible time financially! It was three weeks but now 11 months!?

[@steve00alt70]

It makes things way worse now when the psni detective was shot thankfully survived. But that has made the firearms thing alot more stricter and harder.

[@nickhorten97]

The Plymouth tragedy. Has it been fully revealed exactly what the part of the police in it actually was?

[@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069]

Did you see the quite clearly demented individual that they handed back his shotgun too ? I'm no psychologist but he quite clearly should not even be trusted with a spud gun ,

[@steve00alt70]

The Plymouth thing is a tired excuse that keeps on being brought up to validate gun grabbing

[@greighooper5295]

Respect to you,solid guy

[@russellwilliams9437]

Downs seems like a decent enough bloke. but after speaking to a lot of shooters im skeptical of police firearms licencing departments. just because you have one who douse the job correctly and is there with a good mentality. sadly doesn't mean your not going to find your self with the one guy in the department who is has for what ever reason decided has decided to go on a power trip. or as some personal objection to you for some reason (eg douse not think X is a legimate shooting sport)

[@michaelmongey494]

I’ve been waiting 8 months now with met police hopefully only another 4 months to go 🤔

[@joshuacarvalho5405]

Have you finally got yours?

[@horacerumpole9263]

Cheshire are brilliant.

[@vincentmckenna1755]

So is greater Manchester