JERSEY could be at risk of “extreme” gun-related violence – similar to the attack which saw 15 people killed in Australia – unless laws around allowing ammunition to be stored in homes are tightened, a senior police officer has said.
In a strongly worded submission to politicians, Detective Chief Inspector Chris Beechey warned that local risk assessments had identified that “most credible high-harm scenario” as being a “low-sophistication attack or domestic siege by a lone actor”.
He added that having both weapons and ammunition available in homes could “materially worsen the consequences” and argued that recent amendments to the Island’s firearms law do not go far enough to protect public safety.
“Further restrictive measures linked to Bondi Beach are initiable,” he said, referencing the incident in Sydney on 14 December 2025 when two gunmen opened fired during a celebration of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, killing 15 people.
On behalf of the States police, DCI Beechey called for all recreational shooters to be banned from keeping any firearm ammunition at home, saying that anything short of a full prohibition leaves Jersey exposed to well-evidenced risks.
He welcomed changes brought in this month that will see all firearms certificates issued without ammunition by default, but said the policy “does not go far enough” by still allowing recreational shooters to keep limited quantities of ammunition at home.
“The distinction between ‘minimal’ and ‘large’ quantities is largely academic in terms of public safety,” he said. “The presence of any ammunition in a domestic setting creates opportunities for misuse, theft, or tragic incidents.”
Around 90% of Jersey’s 1,119 firearms certificate holders are licensed solely for recreational shooting at approved ranges.
He warned: “One of Jersey’s greatest threats is an individual in emotional or mental health crisis, potentially radicalised, committing a random act of extreme violence.
“The risk is significantly increased if that individual has access to both firearms and ammunition at home.”
Removing ammunition from domestic settings is described as a “direct and proportionate mitigation” that would not interfere with legitimate sporting use.
DCI Beechey pointed to findings made by a UK coroner following shootings in Plymouth which emphasised that where risk exists but cannot be conclusively proven, licensing decisions must err on the side of public safety.
He also cited Guernsey’s long-standing policy of restricting ammunition possession to clubs, and recent sweeping gun reforms in Australia introduced after fatal lone-actor attacks.
DCI Beechey said that policies in other jurisdictions “demonstrate that a more restrictive approach is both practical and proportionate”.
The detective also criticised the Island’s parish-based licensing system. With 118 different licence conditions and 12 separate decision-making authorities, he argues that public safety is “undermined” by the lack of a single statutory framework.
He was writing to the Parishes and Government Scrutiny Panel, which is currently conducting a review of how the parishes and the government work together.
As part of this, the panel is reviewing administrative functions currently being delivered by the parishes, including firearms certificates.
“The amendments still allow for the continued holding of ammunition at home
by recreational shooters, provided certain criteria are met,” DCI Beechey said.
“This falls short of the aspiration for zero home-held ammunition among recreational shooters and does not fully align with the risk reduction model previously advocated by
both local and international experts.”
He called for Jersey to follow other jurisdictions by removing home-held ammunition for the vast majority of certificate holders, allowing exceptions only in “tightly governed, clearly evidenced cases of operational need”.
Home Affairs Minister Mary Le Hegarat has previously said that plans for a full review of the Island’s firearms law are on hold, while other work is prioritised.
