The provincial government says it will not help the federal government confiscate newly prohibited firearms from once-legal owners.
In August the federal minister responsible for the RCMP requested that Alberta provide resources starting this fall to confiscate 30,000 firearms, the provincial government said in a statement Monday.
Alberta has informed Ottawa it will not offer assistance.
“This ill-advised firearm confiscation program is another misguided step in the federal government’s efforts around the criminal misuse of firearms,” said Teri Bryant, Alberta chief firearms officer.
“I do not believe that law-abiding Canadian firearms owners support these bungled efforts and have no confidence in the capabilities of the federal government to administer such a massive seizure of personal property securely and effectively.”
Tyler Shandro, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General, said further options are being explored and all options are on the table
“Alberta has been told that the federal government will use the RCMP to confiscate firearms – as they did during the 2013 floods – when the RCMP seized over 600 firearms during the notorious High River gun grab,” said Shandro.
Alberta’s government said it has been advised that the RCMP will be deployed to confiscate firearms under the “buyback” program. The provincial government stated it expects no tax dollars or police resources “be wasted implementing a program that will not increase public safety.”
Alberta has written to the commanding officer of the RCMP in Alberta to advise that, pursuant to the Provincial Police Service Agreement (PPSA), the confiscation program is not an objective, priority or goal of the province or the provincial police service (Article 6.0), nor is such deployment “appropriate to the effective and efficient delivery of police services” (Article 2.3a).
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