Police this week were granted the authority to carry out random, unannounced checks at the home of anyone who has a gun licence. Why? They claim that shooters may be ‘vulnerable to criminal or terrorist groups’ and this is the way to tackle the ‘problem’. The new Home Office guidance assures us this won’t occur ‘at an unsocial hour unless there is a justified and specific requirement to do so.’ Some get-out clause.
Crimestoppers have also launched a dedicated phone line to encourage people to report any ‘concerns’ they might have about behavioural changes in fellow shooters. Acpo’s national policing spokesman for firearms and explosives licensing added this would help ‘gather intelligence’.
Sound familiar? It should do. In this week’s cover piece, Fraser Nelson writes about the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. This, too, was passed in 2000 ‘in the name of fighting terrorism’, but is now being used by the police to access itemised phone records.
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