130 firearms given up across GM in two-week crackdown
139 firearms have been handed in during a national two-week long Firearms Surrender
More than one hundred firearms have been given up across Greater Manchester during a national campaign to get guns off our streets.
The National Firearm Surrender campaign, coordinated by the National Ballistics Intelligence Service (NABIS), started on 12 May until 29 May 2022 and included every police force in the UK as part of a crackdown on reducing violent crime and ridding lethal weapons from the streets.
A total of 139 firearms, including a self-loading pistol and a sawn-off shotgun, were handed.
Detective Superintendent John Griffith, of GMP’s Serious Crime Division, said: “Any ammunition or any firearm that gets handed in is one less on the street for criminals to get their hands on.
“We remain committed to robustly investigating serious crime, specifically targeting those in possession or transferring firearms and ammunition as they post a real, serious threat across the UK.
"The 30% drop in discharges over the last 12 months across Greater Manchester is a result of some hard work as we continue to take such lethal weapons off the streets.
“Guns have no place in the region and this surrender is a result of continued efforts from officers and our partners as we work together to safeguard, intervene and educate at the earliest opportunity to hopefully save lives and make Greater Manchester a safer place to live, work and visit.
“Communities really hold the key to helping reduce crime and providing us with information that may assist with our ongoing investigations.
Members of the public who may know of anyone involved in illegal firearms activity is asked to report it online or via LiveChat at www.gmp.police.uk, call 101 or report it anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”