Regina gun amnesty called successful; over 150 firearms turned in

It’s being called a successful two week gun amnesty initiative by Regina police.

With shotguns and rifles leaned up against the wall, and pistols and other handguns in boxes on tables for display, officers proudly announced the details of the city’s first-ever firearms amnesty.

A total of 157 guns are now in the hands of police which breaks down as:

• 81 rifles
• 30 shotguns
• 21 pellet guns/starter pistols
• 25 restricted or prohibited firearms

Some ammunition was also turned in along with four knives.

Chief Evan Bray said they’re always looking at other means to get guns off the streets besides investigative methods.

“This is a proactive way to try and stop that flow of guns into the community,” he said. “This is one idea and I would suggest it’s an idea that worked.”

Inspector Lorilee Davies shared, in some instances, officers spent upwards of an hour collecting guns at some homes, as those relinquishing them got emotional telling the story of what the firearm meant to them.

For others, they couldn’t part with them soon enough.

“There was a large amount of anxiety for people knowing that they had these firearms and they weren’t sure what to do with them and so there was a great relief that we were there and we were able to take them off their hands,” said Davies.

More than 80 people took advantage of the incentive police offered to turn in guns, which was either a one-month bus pass or one-month pass to a leisure centre. Some didn’t want either pass and instead asked them to be donated. Davies said they’ll do just that, providing them to the housing first initiative.

As part of the amnesty, no charges were laid in relation to unauthorized possession or licensing.

The inspector confirmed one of the guns was stolen from somewhere outside of the city in a break and enter.

Most of the  guns will be destroyed; burned and melted while officers are present. However, Davies said four of the guns are historically significant so they’ll be kept and sent to either the RCMP gun library in Ottawa or to a firearm museum.