An AK74 assault rifle was surrendered a Hammersmith and Fulham police station as gun owners are urged take part in a Met Police weapon amnesty.
Police running the #giveupyourgun campaign which allows firearms and imitation weapons to be handed in, are hoping for a late surge before its conclusion on December 6.
.@katieejanee_ As of this morning we'd had 47 items handed in. We're looking to increase this over the last 3 days so #giveupyourgun
— MPSOnTheBox (@MPSonTheBox) December 4, 2015
Detective Superintendent Stephen Clayman, from Trident and Area Crime Command, said: “Tragic events in Paris have inevitably led to a heightened state of alert on the capital’s streets.
“Gun crime, whilst low in London compared to other world cities, has a devastating impact on communities.”
Police revealed today that Merton residents have embraced the opportunity, handing in three air rifles, a shotgun and a paintball gun.
There have been 47 guns handed in across London as of this morning, fortunately the AK-47, handed in with rounds of ammunition, was deactivated.
The campaign follows last year’s firearms surrender which resulted in the collection of 350 firearms along with 12,300 rounds of ammunition.
Clapham Police Constable Rory Geoghegan got behind the powerful #SecondsToDecide hashtag on social media, tweeting a picture of a firearm he recovered Wednesday with the caption ‘Real or fake?’.
#SecondsToDecide if this one is real or fake. Recovered today on foot with PCSO Hill in #Clapham. #GiveUpYourGun pic.twitter.com/IvuICAeNQa
— Clapham Common Police SNT (@MPSClaphamCom) December 2, 2015
Head of NABIS, Detective Chief Superintendent Joanne Chilton, said: “Gun surrenders provide an important opportunity for people to hand firearms over to police to prevent them falling into the hands of criminals and endangering the public.”
During the campaign, people surrendering firearms may not face prosecution for illegal possess and can remain anonymous.
The campaign is also centred on imitation weapons, BB guns and air weapons, which may be mistaken for real guns, and can have dangerous implications.
To find your local police centre to deposit, visit the Metropolitan Police map at http://www.met.police.uk/giveupyourgun/
