The ‘Surrender’ Program is to encourage members of the public to hand in any unlicensed firearms or licensed unwanted firearms, ammunition or any other weapons into a Police Station.
Surrender programs lead to the submission of weapons that might otherwise find their way into criminal hands. They also provide security for those worried about possessing a firearm or weapon but with no criminal intent to surrender them without fear of criminalisation. The reason for encouraging people to hand in imitation firearms, BB guns and air weapons is that these weapons can be almost impossible to tell apart from the real thing and can provoke the same feelings of fear when seen or used in a crime. Perhaps you know somebody who does have a weapon that falls into the categories, if you do then encourage them to take advantage of this opportunity. The licensing triennials is currently under way on island and we would also encourage any person not wishing to renew their license to hand their weapons in.
The amnesty will run from Monday 16th January to Wednesday 1st February 2023.
During this period anyone surrendering firearms or weapons will not face prosecution for illegal possession. They can also choose to remain anonymous when handing items in.
However the history of each live weapon will be checked. If the firearm or weapon is examined and it is believed to have previously been used in a crime or is subject to a current investigation then prosecution will still be considered. The surrender does not provide immunity from prosecution for the life of the weapon but it’s intended to provide an amnesty for possession of the firearm/weapon at the point of surrender to the Police only.
The weapons can be surrendered at the front counters of the Police Stations detailed below. In certain circumstances the items can be collected by a Police Officer.
If you wish to bring a firearm to a Police station it is very important to ensure that it is SECURED and MADE SAFE and any ammunition has been removed. It should be transported to the Police station in a safe manner. If you are unfamiliar with how to do this then you should not attempt to try it. If you contact us we will attend your address and assess the weapon to make sure it is safe and not a danger to anyone before removing it.
Police stations –
Police Headquarters Douglas.
Ramsey.
Peel.
Castletown.
The Isle of Man is a safe place to live and visit, this weapons surrender is not suggesting anything other than that. However the more weapons that are handed in, then we are all ensuring the island remains a safe place to be and Keeping People Safe. Hand them in.
