RCMP HAVE REGISTERED 4,438 STOLEN FIREARMS (SO FAR)!
NOTE: Versions of this article also appeared in: The Ottawa Citizen, The
Montreal Gazette, The Vancouver Province, The Calgary Herald, The Edmonton
Journal, The Saskatoon Star Phoenix, The Reginal Leader Post, and The
Victoria Times Colonist.
PUBLICATION: National Post
DATE: 2003.09.25
EDITION: All but Toronto
SECTION: Canada
PAGE: A4
BYLINE: Tim Naumetz
SOURCE: CanWest News Service
DATELINE: OTTAWA
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Registry tracks mere fraction of stolen guns: Alliance MP obtains documents
showing 'ineffective' results
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
OTTAWA - The federal gun registry has been a dismal failure at tracking
stolen guns over the last five years, matching only 4,438 firearms with the
descriptions of more than 100,000 stolen weapons the firearms centre
attempted to trace.
All of the stolen guns that were located had been registered under the
Firearms Act, according to RCMP records obtained by Canadian Alliance MP
Garry Breitkreuz.
The owners apparently acquired them without knowledge they were stolen.
The records also revealed significant weakness in the registry's ability to
track firearms -- serial numbers for 250,305 firearms logged in the registry
matched the serial numbers of the 101,835 guns police reported stolen since
1998
Because of the duplication of serial numbers, a weakness of the gun-making
industry years ago, all of the stolen rifles and shotguns that were traced
had to be found through manual comparisons of other identifying features,
such as the manufacturer's name, model and brand.
Mr. Breitkreuz said yesterday the records, which showed similar problems
tracking lost guns through the Canada Firearms Centre, prove the registry
has been a colossal waste of $1-billion in taxpayers' money.
"We've argued all the time, if you had $1-billion, you could put 10,000
police on the street and you could investigate these crimes properly and
track them down that way," Mr. Breitkreuz said.
"The registry is a very inefficient and ineffective way to curb any of this
stuff."
The Alliance MP, who has previously pointed out the registry's inability to
uniquely identify firearms, said the records also contradict the
government's earlier claim it would not be possible to register stolen
firearms.
"The whole argument for the registry was that you wouldn't be able to
register a stolen firearm and now you've got stolen firearms registered in
the system," he said.
David Austin, a spokesman for the firearms centre, however, said the results
show stolen firearms can be tracked through the registry.
Mr. Austin added firearms centre policy calls for registry officials to
notify local police as soon as the records match those of a stolen firearm,
something that was impossible before the government introduced the registry.
"This means that your uncle can get his duck gun back," said Mr. Austin,
who
noted the firearms centre has tracked stolen guns across provincial borders.
Mr. Breitkreuz argued Ontario's Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit has been
more successful at tracing illegal guns. The unit in 2001 traced more than
600 guns used in crimes in Ontario and successfully located 85% of them.
Most originated in Florida, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, Texas and California.
Mr. Breitkreuz earlier obtained the information about the Ontario weapons
unit from a 2002 study prepared by the RCMP's criminal intelligence
directorate.
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RCMP: 250,305 FIREARMS IN THE GUN REGISTRY HAVE THE SAME SERIAL NUMBERS AS
GUNS LISTED AS STOLEN IN CPIC. THE RCMP HAVE PROVEN CONCLUSIVELY THAT THEY
HAVE REGISTERED 4,438 STOLEN FIREARMS (SO FAR)!
http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/RCMP-ATIStolenGunsRegistered-200
3-09-11.pdf
NOTE: Versions of this article also appeared in: The Ottawa Citizen, The
Montreal Gazette, The Vancouver Province, The Calgary Herald, The Edmonton
Journal, The Saskatoon Star Phoenix, The Reginal Leader Post, and The
Victoria Times Colonist.
PUBLICATION: National Post
DATE: 2003.09.25
EDITION: All but Toronto
SECTION: Canada
PAGE: A4
BYLINE: Tim Naumetz
SOURCE: CanWest News Service
DATELINE: OTTAWA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Registry tracks mere fraction of stolen guns: Alliance MP obtains documents
showing 'ineffective' results
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
OTTAWA - The federal gun registry has been a dismal failure at tracking
stolen guns over the last five years, matching only 4,438 firearms with the
descriptions of more than 100,000 stolen weapons the firearms centre
attempted to trace.
All of the stolen guns that were located had been registered under the
Firearms Act, according to RCMP records obtained by Canadian Alliance MP
Garry Breitkreuz.
The owners apparently acquired them without knowledge they were stolen.
The records also revealed significant weakness in the registry's ability to
track firearms -- serial numbers for 250,305 firearms logged in the registry
matched the serial numbers of the 101,835 guns police reported stolen since
1998
Because of the duplication of serial numbers, a weakness of the gun-making
industry years ago, all of the stolen rifles and shotguns that were traced
had to be found through manual comparisons of other identifying features,
such as the manufacturer's name, model and brand.
Mr. Breitkreuz said yesterday the records, which showed similar problems
tracking lost guns through the Canada Firearms Centre, prove the registry
has been a colossal waste of $1-billion in taxpayers' money.
"We've argued all the time, if you had $1-billion, you could put 10,000
police on the street and you could investigate these crimes properly and
track them down that way," Mr. Breitkreuz said.
"The registry is a very inefficient and ineffective way to curb any of this
stuff."
The Alliance MP, who has previously pointed out the registry's inability to
uniquely identify firearms, said the records also contradict the
government's earlier claim it would not be possible to register stolen
firearms.
"The whole argument for the registry was that you wouldn't be able to
register a stolen firearm and now you've got stolen firearms registered in
the system," he said.
David Austin, a spokesman for the firearms centre, however, said the results
show stolen firearms can be tracked through the registry.
Mr. Austin added firearms centre policy calls for registry officials to
notify local police as soon as the records match those of a stolen firearm,
something that was impossible before the government introduced the registry.
"This means that your uncle can get his duck gun back," said Mr. Austin,
who
noted the firearms centre has tracked stolen guns across provincial borders.
Mr. Breitkreuz argued Ontario's Provincial Weapons Enforcement Unit has been
more successful at tracing illegal guns. The unit in 2001 traced more than
600 guns used in crimes in Ontario and successfully located 85% of them.
Most originated in Florida, Ohio, Georgia, Michigan, Texas and California.
Mr. Breitkreuz earlier obtained the information about the Ontario weapons
unit from a 2002 study prepared by the RCMP's criminal intelligence
directorate.
--------------------------------------------------------------
RCMP: 250,305 FIREARMS IN THE GUN REGISTRY HAVE THE SAME SERIAL NUMBERS AS
GUNS LISTED AS STOLEN IN CPIC. THE RCMP HAVE PROVEN CONCLUSIVELY THAT THEY
HAVE REGISTERED 4,438 STOLEN FIREARMS (SO FAR)!
http://www.garrybreitkreuz.com/publications/RCMP-ATIStolenGunsRegistered-200
3-09-11.pdf