Sask. police urge people to give up unwanted guns

On Monday, Saskatchewan police agencies reminded people that they can turn over their unwanted firearms without penalty regardless of how they were acquired during an amnesty period.

The Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police (SACP) is aiming to improve public safety by running a province-wide gun amnesty program in partnership with theMinistry of Environment.

Police have dealt with more than 1,000 incidents of unlawful firearm use in the province between 2012 and 2016, saidMoose Jaw Police Service Chief RickBourassa, who is also part of theSACPexecutive.

"That number has grown through those years,"Bourassasaid, adding he expects the numbers to be even higher for the year 2017.

At a newsconference, officersremindedpeople not to deliver their unwanted weapons duringthe grace period.

Instead, residents can call the nearest police service,RCMPdetachment or provincial conservation officeand an official will come and collect the guns.

The amnesty program isn't targeted at people who store their guns "responsibly," rather it's for people who have come upon war relics, discovered old guns on their property or inherited weapons, and have no use for them.

There is no incentive for the initiative and the weapons will be destroyed at the end of the program.

Furthermore, Bourassa noted the province-wide amnesty wasn't in response to one particular incident.

The program wasinspired by Regina'stwo-week municipal gun amnesty program in 2017. During that time, police collected 157 firearms.

People turned in 81 rifles, 30 shotguns, 25 restricted or prohibited firearms and 21 airguns, pellet guns or starter pistols.

Police have said they don't expect criminals to turn over their guns, but hope the amnesty will prevent crooks from getting more weapons through theft.

Legally used firearms are a "legitimate part of Saskatchewan life, particularly in our rural areas for hunting, sport shooting, predator control andfor some, their livelihood," said SACP Assistant Commissioner and RCMPofficerCurtis Zablocki.

However, he said the province also has some of the highest rates of people accused of violent firearm-related offences.

• Sask. has the highest provincial crime rate in Canada and the most severe crimes, too

The program is scheduled to runMarch 29 to April 27.