Manitoba gun amnesty draws hundreds of weapons, no promises By: Ryan Thorpe Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Tuesday, Jul. 31, 2018

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This article was published 30/07/2018 (2244 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Against the backdrop of a national conversation on a push for a federal handgun ban, Manitoba police announced Tuesday nearly 700 firearms were collected during the province’s recent month-long gun amnesty.

On top of the hundreds of firearms collected by 13 police agencies across the province, more than 22,000 rounds of ammunition were turned over to law enforcement.

The program, which took place in June, allowed Manitobans to hand over unwanted firearms to police without facing criminal charges – unless the weapon was found to be stolen or implicated in a crime.

“I think what’s incredible is how many people came forward. The numbers that we had, they exceeded other years a gun amnesty has taken place,” Justice Minister Heather Stefanson said.

The minister’s comments came during a joint law enforcement news conference at Manitoba RCMP headquarters in Winnipeg. Stefanson began her address by mentioning Toronto’s recent mass shooting, and offering her “sincere condolences to the families of the victims.”

Faisal Hussain, 29, went on a shooting rampage in the city’s Danforth neighbourhood July 22, killing Julianna Kozis, 10, and Reese Fallon, 18. He also injured 13 others, before reportedly turning the gun on himself.

In response to the shooting, Toronto city council voted in favour of petitioning the federal government to implement a ban on handgun sales in the Ontario capital, while asking the province to do likewise with ammunition.

Standing near the spot where Hussain opened fire on unsuspecting citizens, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters Monday his administration was doing research into — and mulling — a potential handgun ban.

“We’re taking a look at things that have been done around the world. Things that have been done in other jurisdictions, looking at the best evidence, the best data to make the right decisions to make sure that we are ensuring that our citizens, our communities are safe into the future,” Trudeau said.

On Tuesday, Stefanson repeatedly side-stepped questions on whether the Manitoba government is considering a handgun ban or would support such an initiative at a federal level.

“Gun violence that has plagued Toronto and many other communities in our country is further evidence of why we must remain vigilant to prevent the use and proliferation of illegal and stolen firearms,” Stefanson said.

“I know the federal government is looking at guns and gangs initiatives. It’s something that we have discussions about at our federal-provincial territorial meetings. We’ll continue to have those discussions with our counterparts across the country.”

Under Canada’s current firearm laws, handguns are designated a restricted weapon.

Prospective owners must pass background checks, practical and written exams, and attend two-day safety courses. They also have to be a member of a shooting club. Transportation of the gun is effectively limited to and from a personal gun safe and the shooting range.

According to Statistics Canada’s 2017 annual report on police-reported crime, violent firearm offences increased seven per cent across the country, up to 2,734 incidents. In Manitoba, however, the province registered a drop in the same category.

The Manitoba RCMP commanding officer said every firearm taken off the street during June’s gun amnesty is a victory for law enforcement.

“We’re watching gunplay go on. We’re seeing the violence in a lot of our communities. It’s a very unfortunate set of circumstances that happened in Toronto recently… The violence we’re seeing right now, it’s a major concern. Any firearms we receive, or ammunition, that’s a real bonus for us, because we know it’s one less on the streets,” assistant commissioner Scott Kolody said.

Each of the nearly 700 guns turned over to law enforcement during the program were subjected to an examination, Kolody said, aimed at tracking the weapon’s history.

No charges were laid in connection with this year’s gun amnesty.

Kolody said there’s no hard and fast rule on what kind of firearms – handguns or long guns – are most often used for crime, or whether they’re smuggled into the country or legally-owned guns that have been stolen and repurposed for illicit activity.

“We see long guns used (in crime). We see a lot of handgun play, and we’ve seen that throughout the country. We’re seeing guns coming in from all different places. They’re coming from across Canada. It’s not uncommon to see a handgun originate from one province or another, from one city or another. The same with criminal activity, it crosses borders,” the RCMP commander said.

The majority of firearms and ammunition collected during the amnesty will be destroyed, police said, while a few will be kept for historical or training purposes.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @rk_thorpe

Ryan Thorpe
Reporter

Ryan Thorpe likes the pace of daily news, the feeling of a broadsheet in his hands and the stress of never-ending deadlines hanging over his head.

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