The Regina Police Service will be holding a gun amnesty program next month in response to the city’s rising rates of gun related crime.
Last year there were 141 violent offences involving firearms, which accounts for a 94 per cent increase from the five-year average. In 2016, there were 343 guns seized by police officers in Regina. Fifty-five firearms were reported as stolen.
During the two-week amnesty period, no charges will be pursued relating to the unauthorized possession of a firearm but they will be investigated to see if there is a connection to any ongoing cases.
Police are asking anyone who wants to turn in a firearm to call them, and they will come pick it up. Do not bring firearms to the police station.
“This is targeting people that might not want to have those firearms in their house and find a way to get rid of them without repercussion,” Chief Evan Bray said.
Bray says that they have seen cases where break-ins happen with the intent of stealing firearms, which is part of the reason this amnesty is taking place.
“We don’t want people who are going to use a gun in a robbery, or use a gun to assault a person, or murder a person,” Bray said. “We don’t want them falling into their hands. So we’re trying to provide an avenue to prevent that.”
Mayor Michael Fougere says there has been a marked increase in drugs, guns and crime in the city.
“We talked about the 55 stolen guns that were identified, but that doesn’t carry the full picture, because there’s more out there,” Fougere said.
“We know that for sure.”
Anyone who turns in a firearm will receive either a leisure or bus pass from the city. Both passes are good for one month.
If you have an unregistered firearm that you would like to keep, Bray adds that you can still call the RPS during this amnesty and they will help you register the gun.
with files from Global News