Ottawa has banned more than 2,500 types of assault-style firearms since May, 2020.JONATHAN HAYWARD/The Canadian Press
Days before the federal government’s deadline for people to declare banned assault-style weapons under its gun-buyback plan, the head of the federation representing RCMP officers says he’s still waiting for Ottawa to explain in detail its plans to gather the surrendered firearms.
Brian Sauvé, president and chief executive officer of the National Police Federation, expressed concerns in an interview Wednesday, saying intricate plans are needed to reduce potential risks, and to ensure that the collection process does not unnecessarily tie up police and other emergency services.
“Imagine this. You live on Oak Street in whatever community, and you wake up one Saturday and you look out your front window and you see your neighbour across the street putting seven assault rifles into their trunk. What’s your reaction?” he said. “Does that mean that you’re now going to call 911, and your neighbour across the street is going to face a fairly heavy police response, because we have to take those seriously.”
“That’s going to draw police resources and 911 resources away from other things,” he added.
The government says mobile units will be deployed to collect outlawed assault-style weapons around the country. But Mr. Sauvé said risk assessments must be carried out first, as operating a mobile unit transporting and collecting multiple guns carries potential hazards.
Ottawa has banned more than 2,500 types of assault-style firearms since May, 2020.
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Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree told a committee of MPs on Tuesday that retired and off-duty Mounties will step in to collect banned guns after the deadline for declaring weapons under the federal government’s buyback program passes next week.
Owners of banned firearms have until the end of March to submit a declaration to the Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program to be eligible for collection and compensation.
The guns would then be handed in, either at a police station or a mobile unit.
Mr. Anandasangaree explained that “the RCMP and other agencies will be available throughout the spring and the summer to do the collection.” He said collections would not be done door-to-door.
A report by the Auditor-General this week said a shortage of Mounties has worsened in the past two years, with at least 3,400 additional police officers needed as of September, 2025.
Mr. Anandasangaree said police forces would not have to use serving officers to collect guns, but perhaps could include “those who are off-duty, those who may be retired.”
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In Quebec, the provincial police force, Sûreté du Québec, will oversee the buyback scheme. The federal government has previously said it will provide up to $12.4-million to cover costs incurred by the province.
Mr. Sauvé said RCMP reservists, many of whom are retired officers and are also represented by the federation, would likely be asked to take part in the gun-collection scheme.
But he said detailed plans need to be in place before it starts, including for the type of vehicles to be used as mobile collection units.
Mr. Sauvé said he was pleased that officers would not be asked to go to people’s doors to pick up guns, warning that this could potentially lead to conflict.
“This has been a fairly polarizing issue in Canada, whether it be from politicians or citizens or advocacy groups for firearms or against firearms. So being a polarizing issue, it’s very possible that someone who owns a bunch of guns has something against the government, and they would actually call to have the police come pick up their guns at home just to engage in a gunfight,” he warned.
He said “risk assessments need to be done about site security, scene security” as well as practical details about the working hours of his members.
People who have registered will be given a date, time and location for the drop-off of their declared guns. But Mr. Sauvé said intricacies of the scheme need particular focus.
Multiple forces have said they will not participate in the gun buyback program, including the Ottawa Police Service, which has said doing so would put undue strain on police resources and may hamper their ability to carry out crime-fighting duties.
The deadline to sign a declaration of a banned firearm, enabling gun owners to receive compensation in return for handing them in, is on March 31. At the end of October, the amnesty to hand in banned guns, which has already been extended, will expire.
After that, Mr. Anandasangaree told the Commons committee Tuesday, the police will “need to enforce the law.”
The program, launched in January, is opposed by the Conservative Party and many gun owners across the country.
Simon Lafortune, a spokesperson for Mr. Anandasangaree, said that since the program’s launch, more than 52,000 firearms have been declared across Canada.
He said mobile collection units will be dispatched across the country, including in areas where local police have indicated they do not want to participate.