The Kindersley RCMP are giving the public a chance to give up unwanted firearms during their gun amnesty event. The Kindersley, Kerrobert and Eston detachments will be collecting the firearms between March 25, 2019 and April 19, 2019.

Constable Mike Hill, stated this opportunity allows residents to surrender firearms without having to worry about and legal ramifications that may otherwise come with being in possession of the weapons. He shared that sometimes people may worry that because they do not have their firearms licence, or if they discover guns or sometimes even military ammo they didn’t know they had, the gun amnesty program helps alleviate the stress of getting rid of them.

The exception to this, is if the firearm turned in had been used in a crime, this would then require further investigation and would be in the hands of the RCMP to determine further action.

CST Hill stressed however, for safety reasons, they are urging gun owners to call the detachment and the officers will come retrieve the firearms.

“If something has been sitting there for a while, or if a person has just discovered it, you can’t be sure of the condition or any potential defects with the firearm and that’s why we would rather just come out and get it ourselves so we can guarantee the safety of everyone around,” said Hill.

After the RCMP posted the program on their Facebook page, they received over 50 comments, many of which stating they would happily take the firearms others are not wanting. CST. Hill said a large portion of licensed gun owners are responsible and well-intentioned people, however, gun owners should still be aware that not all wanting guns are this way.

Additionally, he outlined that if a person sells a gun to an unlicensed individual, there could be fines associated with the sale. Unlawful sale of a weapon and if the circumstance arises where the sold gun is used in any criminal activity, the fines and charges could drastically escalate from there.

CST Hill said that after the firearms are collected, they will be entered into the database and later destroyed. If however, they come across an item that is rare or antique, they would then reach out to the owner and look at submitting to a museum or collector.

Others also commented on Facebook that the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation also has a gun collection program, but does not destroy the weapons. As stated by one individual, the unwanted firearms are collected and later auctioned off with all the proceeds going to the Federation.

CST Hill said if others are running a safe gun amnesty program, those are also good options for residents who wish to get rid of their firearms.

“Lots of times, I know some do not want to see the firearm destroyed, they have an appreciation for it and would rather it go to someone else who would equally appreciate the gun, in this case, the programs that resell to those who have their firearms licence is a good option as well,” said Hill.

Last year the detachment offered the gun amnesty program, CST Hill said that they did not receive any during that time, but have had calls sporadically throughout the year.

For more information on the gun amnesty program or how to obtain a firearms licence, call the Kindersley RCMP detachment at 306-463-4642.