6 week gun amnesty wraps up

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Hamilton police have wrapped up their six-week gun amnesty. The idea was to give gun owners an opportunity to turn in firearms with no questions asked. While police are happy with the results, there are still some questions about the effectiveness of the method. A hundred and fifty two guns, a hundred and nine long guns, and forty nine hand guns are now in the hands of police, and not out on the street. “One crime gun off the street would be fantastic, and that’s a success, I’d say 150 would be a tremendous success.” Said Acting Inspector Paul Evans.

But Hamilton police aren’t pretending that it’s violent criminals turning in their gun’s. Of the approximately 150 guns that the police brought in, most are legal, many are simple modifications which make them prohibited like a replica gun, but it definitely looks the part, or one which is actually a home made gun but the owner was technichally responsible by bringing it in. What they want to do is take all of these guns out of the hands of potential criminals who could break in and steal the guns later.

So cutting down the potential pool of guns helps because it happens more than you might think. “Anywhere from 40 to 80 guns are stolen a year through break ins.” The number is below last years amnesty which pulled in 374 guns and well behind 2006 when over 1200 guns were turned in.

This years amnesty comes in the wake of a summer that saw a number of shootings, including two daylight shootings and the killing of 18 year old Shareek Douse at a housing complex on McNab street. In september Chief Decaire and Mayor Fred Eisenberger announced the amnesty. “It’s not the only solution to the issue of uh gun play and guns in our community.”

Ward three councillor Matthew Green agrees that 150 guns off the street is a success but wishes we had gone further, with a gun buy back program. “I still felt that we had a chance to bring in substantial numbers of weapons with just a bit of a financial incentive.”

A similar program was used in Toronto where they traded guns for cameras back in 2013; the result was 458 guns turned in.