I shot the sheriff with a Nikon P60

Posted on Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Written by Allison Buchan-Terrell

The Toronto Police Service hopes that gun owners will enjoy shooting pictures as much as they enjoyed shooting targets.

It began a four-week amnesty program on Oct.22 where Toronto residents who turn in a working gun receive a digital camera and photography lessons.

Dubbed Pixels for Pistols, Henry’s Cameras developed the amnesty with police in honour of its 100th anniversary with the hope of curbing gun and gang violence by safely disposing of firearms.

“In general, with these kinds of amnesties, it is not likely to be gang members turning in guns, it is owners making the decision whether or not to keep them,” said Wendy Cukier, associate dean of business at Ryerson and president of the Coalition for Gun Control.

She added 50 per cent of legal guns kept in homes are not used to hunt or target shoot, but rather kept for sentimental reasons.

These guns are involved in crime, she added, whether they are stolen, misused or found by young people.

Sgt. Chris Boddy of the Community Mobilization Unit of Toronto Police said as of Monday in excess of 80 firearms, both handguns and rifles, have been turned in. A 2005 gun amnesty recovered 261 guns.

People who turn in a working rifle or shotgun will receive a Nikon Coolpix P60 and a School of Imaging gift card valued at $250. Those who turn in a working handgun, machine gun or assault rifle will get a Nikon Coolpix S52 and two gift cards valued at $360.

He said it targets legal gun owners who have unused firearms in their home they wish to safely get rid of. Sgt. Boddy said most of the people who turned in guns said they were a burden and were happy for the opportunity to get rid of them safely.

“This is an initiative that, if we all commit to it, has the capacity to make the city a little safer,” Chief Bill Blair said, at the kickoff to the program.

“This is an opportunity to get rid of a weapon safely, without fear of being charged.”

Henry’s owner Andrew Stein said, “If only one person would return a gun, we would regard this program as a success,” Stein said.

Toronto Mayor David Miller called for the closing of shooting ranges and gun clubs on city property following the January murder of John O’Keefe — the man charged with the killing legally owned the gun involved in the crime.

The 1994 killing of Toronto police officer Todd Bayliss is another high profile example of stolen guns involved in crime. The gun used was a World War II souvenir.

“In general any measures that reduce the availability of firearms impact public safety — amnesties and buy backs — strategies to get rid of guns that are unnecessary and unneeded,” Cukier said, adding the more guns that are disposed of, the chances of misuse go down.

She said amnesties are one way to get guns out of circulation and raise awareness about risks, but they should be part of an integrated gun control strategy.

“Any gun club would be happy to see unauthorized guns turned into police. We as collectors and target shooters have our guns properly registered and we are very conscious of security," said Kevin Murtagh, a range safety officer with the Maple Leaf Revolver gun club in Toronto.

“To be honest, legal gun owners and collectors, who are properly registered, feel we have a right to own our guns. We abide by the laws and the rules are strict.”

To get a gun, a person has to be a member of a club and obtain a possession and acquisition licence, which includes a criminal record check and a firearms safety course.

Guns must be stored unloaded separately from ammunition and trigger locked in a locked container.

He added collections are expensive and the incentive is not necessarily attractive, which would deter collectors from turning guns in.

“If an individual has a gun and it is not registered, they should turn it in since they are breaking the law in the first place, but why should an individual like me hand in guns I paid $400-500 for that I have every legal right to own,” he said.

Murtagh explained the guns collectors have are antiques, around 50 years old, and not the type of weapons used in crime — automatic weapons, which have been banned since 1977 in Canada.

“The numbers thrown around about legal guns stolen by the criminal element are out of whack, they are not interested in our guns.”

Under the 1995 Firearms Act, registered gun owners cannot own semi-automatic or automatic weapons and can only fire a five-round magazine.

He pointed to the recent shooting at a tavern near the corner of Queen and Leslie streets where the gun used had a 16-round magazine; the only people allowed to have 16-round magazines in Canada are police and the army, so the gun was illegal and could not have been registered.

He argued the weapons involved in crime are mostly guns illegally imported into Canada by organized crime. Murtagh said he feels licenced gun owners are a soft target for police and gun control advocates.

Cukier agreed guns smuggled from the U.S. represent a large portion of handguns.

The origin of guns involved in crime is a point of contention between gun control advocates and collectors.

The coalition says 50 per cent of guns involved in crime are registered guns in Canada, while the other half are smuggled from the U.S. Meanwhile, the Canadian Sports Shooters Association says 84 per cent of guns used in crime are unregistered and 75 per cent are illegal guns smuggled into Canada.

The Canadian Police Information Centre, which keeps data on stolen or missing guns, has 85,000 guns in its system and 44,000 of those are handguns — some of which make it onto the illicit gun market and are used in crime.

Torontonians who wish to turn in a gun, legal or not, are asked to call Toronto Police at 416-808-2222 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to arrange a pickup. Guns turned in will be destroyed after police check if they were used in a crime.