Chief Evan Bray from the Regina Police Service isn’t pulling any punches; gun violence is a problem in Regina.
In 2016 the RPS had 343 firearm seizures, a 31 per cent increase over the five-year average, and 141 violent offences. That’s a 94 per cent increase over the five-year average.
In an effort to reduce this, the Regina police are instituting a gun amnesty from February 1-15.
“It’s no secret that firearms are a problem in our community,” Bray said.
“We are going to go out and accept those. In fact, as we speak I was just told there are two calls for service waiting on the screen for officers to go out and pick up firearms,” Bray said Monday morning.
READ MORE: Regina police offering leisure or transit passes for unwanted guns
Preventing firearm thefts is a motivating factor in this amnesty. Police report 55 firearm thefts in 2016, which is up from 35 in 2015.
Chief Bray says he believes the real amount of thefts is higher. He says this is because people are fearful of consequences if they report an unregistered firearm being stolen.
“Takeaway the opportunity for that that firearm or ammunition or explosive device, or replica firearm, make sure it takes away the opportunity for it to fall into the wrong hands,” Bray said.
During this amnesty the RPS will not pursue charges relating the unregistered possession of firearms for people offering to turn them in.
Police are also accepting ammunition, replicas, and other weapons like knives and explosives.
All weapons will be checked to make sure they aren’t linked to ongoing investigations.
Everything that’s turned in during the amnesty that doesn’t have historic value will be incinerated.
Darryl Schemenauer owns TNT Gunworks in Regina and says there are other options for getting rid of unwanted firearms that don’t result in their destruction.
“They could be sold for a profit. We can use them for parts here, there’s value there,” Schemenauer said. “There’s historical value in a lot of these firearms. They can be used for lots of reasons. Firearms instructors can use them.”
Schemenauer says he and his staff have a good relationship with the RPS and firearms licensing agencies. He says they can help customers get all the paper work in order to make sure gun sales are done legally.
Chief Bray says that the RPS can also help people get the proper registration in order if they don’t already have it during the amnesty period.
Whether guns are turned in through the amnesty or safely sold to a store, both groups have the same goal.
“A gun amnesty’s always good. Everyone wants guns off the street, that’s what everybody wants,” Schemenauer said.
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