FIREARMS FACTS - UPDATE

POLICE PRIORITIES

RCMP RESPONSE TO ACCESS TO INFORMATION ACT REQUEST

RCMP FILE: 02ATIP-26394, dated July 31, 2002.

On April 16, 2002, RCMP Cst. Steve Poirier, Course Coordinator of the RCMP Pacific Region Training Centre told his superiors that they do not have the manpower to enforce the Firearms Act.  He said: “There are approx 49,000 registered firearms in B.C. belonging to people who have not applied for the new firearms licence.  I inform police of this statistic however also advise no police force has the manpower to deal with it.” 

THE REASON?  POLICE ARE BUSY CHASING REAL CRIMINALS AND DEALING WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN PROVEN IN A COURT OF LAW TO BE A REAL THREAT TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

OUTSTANDING ARREST WARRANTS UNDER THE CRIMINAL CODE = 197, 282

There are presently 197,282 arrest warrants on the CPIC [Canadian Police Information Centre] system based on Criminal Code offences or offences against federal statutes.  Our policy requires that all Canada Wide (CW) entries are based on Criminal Code or Federal Statute offences and we are not able to separate either. 

PERSONS PROHIBITED FROM OWNING FIREARMS = 130,972

There are presently 130,972 persons prohibited from owning a firearm entered by the various police agencies on the CPIC system.

ACTIVE RESTRAINING ORDERS = 36,474

There are 36,474 entries under the recognizance sub-category which includes peace bonds, recognizance and restraining orders.  Our system does not separate or breakdown these three possible type of orders.  There is a possibility that other entries are made in the Prohibition category but we have no way of identifying that number.

NOTE: The totals provided are as of June 29, 2002.