Here’s How Many Guns and Other Weapons Police Took off the Streets in April
Published May 10, 2018 at 7:22 pm
After a spring gun amnesty program in Halton and the rest of Ontario for the month of April, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have revealed just how many guns and other weapons were recovered across
After a spring gun amnesty program in Halton and the rest of Ontario for the month of April, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have revealed just how many guns and other weapons were recovered across the province.
Hundreds of weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition were received and rendered safe, say OPP.
How many?
According to OPP, police recovered 689 items through appointments with OPP officers.
That includes 267 rifles, 156 shotguns, 113 prohibited firearms, and 62 other guns such as replica and vintage weapons.
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In non-OPP jurisdictions, a total of 1,503 guns were voluntarily surrendered.
Over 12,000 pieces of ammunition were collected.
A whopping 12,615, in fact.
“I’m so proud of the collaboration demonstrated by members of the OPP and all of our municipal partners during the gun amnesty,” said OPP Commissioner J.V.N. (Vince) Hawkes in a recent statement.
“The results clearly show the public was engaged and supported our combined efforts to reduce the number of firearms, accessories and ammunition in their communities, which then enhances public and police officer safety.”
A recent OPP release states that the police service received a total of 592 gun amnesty calls for service across the province, 86 of which were received through online reporting on the OPP website.
“A majority of firearms that have been surrendered to police will be destroyed, but a number of guns will be retained for historical, educational or training purposes,” reads the release.
“Although the gun amnesty has officially ended, police will continue to accept submissions from the public.”
“Police continue to encourage members of the public to turn in unwanted weapons despite the conclusion of this initiative. Police retain the ability to exercise discretion (amnesty) regarding weapons related charges at all times, not just during this month long event. The public is reminded that no one should ever deliver guns, ammunition or military ordinance directly to police facilities.”
According to OPP, any gun owners who are interested in submitting their guns or other weapons should call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or their local police service’s non-emergency lines to arrange for officers to attend and safely retrieve the weapons.
You can find local results from Halton police here.
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