KENT POLICE SEIZE 172 GUNS AND NEARLY 4,000 ROUNDS IN MASS SURRENDER
More than 170 firearms and close to 4,000 bullets were handed over during Kent Police’s recent firearms surrender scheme. Running from 21 January to 6 February 2019, the campaign saw an impressive total of 172 guns and 3,857 rounds of ammunition collected from residents across the county.
Campaign Extended Due To Huge Public Response
The initiative originally aimed to end on 1 February but police extended the deadline by five days due to its unexpected success. It gave people a safe and legal way to dispose of unwanted or illegal firearms and ammo, taking weapons off the streets and out of dangerous hands.
From Historic Revolvers to Deactivated AK-47s
- Items turned in ranged from pistols, revolvers, and shotguns to rifles and air weapons.
- A deactivated Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle with magazine and dummy rounds was handed in on 24 January.
- Three Italian starting pistols plus a Walther PPK blank-firing replica with blank rounds also featured.
- On day one, a rare Colt ‘New Service’ .445 calibre revolver from 1898 was surrendered. This firearm had served British and Commonwealth forces through WWII.
- On 22 January alone, North Kent station received 12 guns, including three operational revolvers – a Hopkins and Allen, a WWII Webley service revolver, and a Colt.
Police Praise Residents for Keeping Kent Safer
“Many firearms are held innocently with owners unaware of their illegality, or are overlooked heirlooms forgotten in people’s homes,” said Detective Chief Inspector Patrick Holmes. “This initiative gave residents the chance to hand in unwanted firearms, ensuring they were removed safely from our communities and stopped from falling into criminal hands. Every firearm taken off the streets is a potential crime prevented and potentially a life saved. I want to thank everyone who stepped up and handed in guns and ammunition.”
