New data reveals that the number of legally owned guns in England and Wales is at its highest level in 20 years. And we’re already seeing some of the expected outcry, in the form of warnings that additional licensing policy overhauls are needed to prevent mass shootings.
As it stands, “Before issuing a certificate, police must be satisfied the applicant is fit to be entrusted with a firearm, will not present a danger to public safety and has a good reason for needing a firearm,” said Policing Minister Mike Penning. Licenses can be revoked on the same grounds, as 1,700 were in the first three months of 2015.
“The UK has some of the toughest gun laws in the world, and we are determined to keep it that way,” Penning said. Nothing seems to be changing on this front, but it is encouraging to see legal gun ownership becoming a more widespread phenomenon.
