As reported by the Rzeczpospolita daily on Friday, Poland has seen a sharp increase in the number of permits issued for personal protection weapons. The reason cited was not only the growing interest among citizens but also among service officers, who are taking advantage of the recent facilitation of access to weapons introduced for them.
The daily cited data indicating that a total of 843,000 weapons of various types are currently in the hands of 324,000 Poles who are legally permitted to own them. This means that in just one year, there were nearly 41,000 new individuals to whom the police issued permits. Consequently, the arsenal of privately owned weapons increased by more than 83,000.
The greatest interest is reportedly in weapons obtained for two purposes: collection and sporting, and this trend has continued for several years. However, Rzeczpospolita noted that there is one brand-new change: the number of people who have been issued a permit to own a weapon for personal protection “has increased exponentially” as their number has risen to 6,242 over the past year.
In comparison, in 2021, it concerned only 81 people; a year later, it was 154.
Furthermore, since last year, Polish service officers have found it easier to obtain gun permits for personal use. With the ongoing war in Ukraine, the idea behind this change in the law was to “strengthen the defense potential” of the country. This has also translated into a surge in gun ownership statistics.
In Poland, in order to obtain a gun permit, in addition to meeting general requirements, such as not having a criminal record, being 21 years of age, having permanent residence in Poland, and having good mental health, among others, there is membership in an association and passing an exam. Thousands of such "shooting-collecting" associations have sprung up, particularly in recent years.
The greatest interest is reportedly in weapons obtained for two purposes: collection and sporting, and this trend has continued for several years. However, Rzeczpospolita noted that there is one brand-new change: the number of people who have been issued a permit to own a weapon for personal protection “has increased exponentially” as their number has risen to 6,242 over the past year.
In comparison, in 2021, it concerned only 81 people; a year later, it was 154.
Furthermore, since last year, Polish service officers have found it easier to obtain gun permits for personal use. With the ongoing war in Ukraine, the idea behind this change in the law was to “strengthen the defense potential” of the country. This has also translated into a surge in gun ownership statistics.
In Poland, in order to obtain a gun permit, in addition to meeting general requirements, such as not having a criminal record, being 21 years of age, having permanent residence in Poland, and having good mental health, among others, there is membership in an association and passing an exam. Thousands of such "shooting-collecting" associations have sprung up, particularly in recent years.
Source: Rzeczpospolita
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