Halifax Regional Police will take part in the federal government’s assault-style firearms compensation program and will begin collecting firearms from eligible participants this spring.
Chief Don MacLean said the force is joining the program in part due to the province’s high rate of intimate partner violence and “to support any initiative that can reduce the presence of firearms in our communities.”
Since May 2020, Ottawa has outlawed about 2,500 types of guns, including the AR-15, on the basis they belong only on the battlefield.
Owners of the now-banned firearms will have until the end of March to declare interest in the federal buyback program, which launched last month.
After registering, gun owners can turn them in to participating police stations or mobile collection units to receive payment for their disposal and deactivation.
“Halifax Regional Police’s participation in this program is funded by the federal government. All participating officers will be working on overtime shifts paid for by the federal government. This format ensures there will be no impact to front-line or investigative policing,” the force said in a Tuesday release.
Prohibited firearms must be disposed of or permanently deactivated by the end of the amnesty period on Oct. 30.
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Those in possession after that date could face criminal charges and lose their firearms licences.
Opposition to program
However, the program is facing resistance from several provinces, including New Brunswick, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, which have said they will not administer the program.
There was also opposition in Cape Breton, N.S., where the program rolled out last October. Cape Breton Regional Police was one of a handful of police forces in the country that agreed to test the buyback program.
About 100 people held a rally in front of the Cape Breton police headquarters to voice their opposition, and about the same number attended a town hall on the subject.
Critics argued the projected $756 million cost of the program would be better spent on stopping illegal firearms from entering the country.
Halifax chief says city will benefit from fewer guns
In a statement, Halifax’s police chief said he understands there are “varying opinions” on the buyback program but stressed the program is “not about criminalizing gun owners.”
“While I know most gun owners do not have a malicious intent to misuse their firearm, I do believe our city would benefit from having fewer guns in communities — to reduce the chance that they can be misused, stolen, or diverted into criminal activity,” MacLean said.
“We can’t ignore the reality — Nova Scotia is responding to an intimate partner violence epidemic. And some of the most tragic examples of gun violence in our province were incidents of intimate partner violence and domestic abuse.”
He said while he doesn’t believe this program will end gun violence or domestic abuse, the force will continue to work with other agencies to combat the issues.
For more information, visit the Government of Canada website.
— with files from The Canadian Press and Global News’ Heidi Petracek and Prisha Dev
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