Beacon News – by Jo Ann Lawrence
Gun owners who had their unsecured firearms removed from their evacuated homes by RCMP officers during the High River flood can now get their weapons back.
Sgt. Patricia Neely of the RCMP says “The RCMP is making the return of weapons as seamless as possible for residents already dealing with the stress of returning to flood damaged homes”.
Anyone wanting to retrieve their firearm from the RCMP is asked to bring along government issued photo ID. Neely says “all persons seeking return of their guns, require the proper authority to take possession of them from the RCMP”.
For most guns that were secured by police, the owner needs to provide a Possession Acquisition License or PAL. If a resident does not have a PAL on them, police will confirm the existence of the document through the Canadian Police Information Centre Computer. The guns will then be returned.
If a gun owner does not have a PAL, an alternative person who has a PAL can store the guns for them. Alternatively, the gun owner can leave the weapon secured at the RCMP detachment while they apply for and receive a PAL. Neely adds “as there is no longer a requirement for long guns to be registered, a PAL is the only required document for the return of an unrestricted weapon”.
Sgt. Neely says “the requirements for restricted weapons or prohibited weapons has been communicated to those residents specifically dealing with these weapons. All weapons will be returned in accordance with the law”.
There was an uproar last week when it was discovered that police had taken unsecured weapons from homes in High River as they were searching evacuated homes for victims. Neely says many gun owners have told the RCMP that they are grateful that police worked to protect their firearms, some of which are worth tens of thousands of dollars. She says many gun owners have decided to leave their firearms in safe storage with police until they get their homes in order following the flood.
http://beaconnews.ca/blog/2013/07/rcmp-returns-secured-firearms-to-high-river-residents/
RCMP are returning the weapons – good – now they must be charged with a list of offences starting with B&E, theft, and most of all being boneheads.
To swerve & neglect
It sounds to me like they’ve set down rules to govern the regular confiscation of firearms for the purpose of “securing” them whenever they deem such actions necessary.
This time they’re allegedly being returned (but probably not to everyone), but what happens next time?
Well, the exercise was all about taking down photos & names at the end.
The good citizens lose anyway, cause the Feds now have them listed down.
When I first saw this story it said something to the effect that in order to have the guns returned proof of ownership was required. Why the hell does not the RCMP reverse its process of confiscation and just deliver every weapon back to the address they picked it up from. Why is it incumbent on the Canadians to go and retrieve their weapons plus “bring all the paperwork required”? Why cant they just post in the paper the gun return group will be active from noon until 9PM this saturday and sunday or call and schedule a return time convient for you, all that is necessary is for an adult to be home to receive the firearms. When pigs fly to the moon…….
Better check the firing pins.
Ha Ha #1. I was thinking the same thing. I was also thinking that they may not give the original gun back to the owner that they took. We all know how records can get screwed up.
Besides charging the RCMP with felony theft and making citizens’ arrests, the High River residents should also get a copy of a car rental agreement, make their own rental document, set their own rates, and start charging the RCMP for rent of their firearms, including some late fees and fines for not appropriately filling out the contracts and omitting down payment, as well as charges for any damage incurred to their firearms, then get some certified copies of their contracts, and mail the contracts to the RCMP by certified mail that requires the addressee’s signature on delivery, with return signed postcard to document receipt.