500 firearms turned over to Surrey RCMP as city cracks down on expired gun registration

The City of Surrey is cracking down on expired gun registrations.

Between April 4 and 22, Surrey RCMP officers visited the owners of restricted and prohibited firearms whose registrations had expired.

More than 500 firearms and 3,000 rounds of ammunition were turned over to the RCMP.

Surrey RCMP says they recognize there are many reasons why gun owners may have let their firearms registration lapse, including not even realizing they are expired, and their goal is to educate those with expired registrations on the legal requirements of owning a firearm.

Officers also encountered many examples of firearms being stored improperly, increasing the potential for the firearms to fall into the wrong hands.

Many firearms had also been passed on from deceased family members to individuals with little to no knowledge about their status or the registration requirements.

The sweep comes after the City of Surrey registered 33 shootings since the start of 2016, leaving the community on edge.

Inspector Chris McBryan with the National Weapon Enforcement Support Team says the majority of gun-related crimes are committed with guns that are domestically sourced.

Anyone with an unwanted firearm is asked to contact their local police department on their non-emergency line. You are asked not to bring firearms into police departments for safety reasons. Police will go to your residence to receive the firearms.