Chief Constable Craig Mackey says he is assured that the licensing system ‘worked’
Changes to national firearms licensing have been recommended after a review into the Derrick Bird killings.
A report has said the murders could not have been prevented under the current system in England, Wales and Scotland.
One proposal is that GPs be told if a licence is granted so they can inform police of any mental health issues.
Bird killed 12 people, including his twin brother David, in a shooting rampage across West Cumbria on 2 June, before turning his gun on himself.
The independent review was conducted by Assistant Chief Constable Adrian Whiting, of Dorset Police.
The government said the UK’s “tough” firearms laws were always under review and would be tightened further if necessary.
The review concluded that Cumbria Police acted correctly in granting and renewing firearms certificates to Derrick Bird.
Bird shot 23 people in West Cumbria in June It said the force and other relevant agencies had no information prior to the shooting rampage which showed the gunman should reasonably have had his certificates revoked and guns seized.
Under proposals in the Whiting report, family members would be formally asked if an applicant was suitable to own a gun.
Other recommendations included banning people from owning guns if they had received a suspended prison term, which is currently not the case.
ACC Whiting said the law needed to be clarified around the use of firearms for pest control after what he described as a “significant” increase in handguns held for such purposes.
Crime Prevention Minister James Brokenshire said the government would consider the recommendations carefully.
“We have some of the toughest firearms laws in the world. We keep them under review and we are prepared to tighten them further, if necessary. All options are open for discussion,” he said.
Another review, of how Cumbria dealt with the shootings from an operational perspective, is currently being undertaken by Assistant Chief Constable Simon Chesterman, of West Mercia Police.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.