The firearm found under a vehicle by Prince Albert Police after the report of a group of men pointing the weapon at a cyclist. Photo courtesy Prince Albert Police
Prince Albert Police say the seizure of a shotgun on Wednesday night is a sign of a disturbing trend.
A group threatened a bicyclist near the South Hill Mall by pointing a long-barreled firearm at that person.
Three men have been arrested in that incident.
This is the 52nd firearm police have seized this year, said Prince Albert Police Chief Troy Cooper. Quite a few of those have no serial numbers or are untraceable, and most are traditional hunting weapons like shotguns or rifles that have been sawed off to make them easier to conceal.
In September of last year, Prince Albert police started seeing an increase in gun seizures related to gang and drug activity.
“It’s been a startling trend that’s been growing very quickly,” Cooper said.
Police have five firearms from this month alone.
“When people read about that or when they hear a gun fired it causes them to have less of a sense of safety in their own home, and that’s something we’re concerned about,” he said.
Police officers now need to act more carefully at traffic stops and while making arrests in all situations, not just ones where the presence of guns is anticipated, Cooper said.
He reassures Prince Albert residents that police are acting to deal with the gang and drug-related scenarios these guns are most often associated with.
“We’re on top of it, we’re doing our best to investigate the offences that are leading to possession of weapons. Our drug units have increased their enforcement by 16 per cent so far this year,” he said.
The idea that gun seizures are predominantly related to drugs and gang activity comes from the information police have about offenders or intelligence they’ve gathered, Cooper said.
“Oftentimes there won’t be an organized crime charge laid but we’re still aware that that person might be tied to a gang,” he said.
Western Canada as a whole has been a part of the trend, based on Cooper’s conversations with police chiefs in Calgary, Regina and Saskatoon.
Although most guns seized are not stolen, and police “are not certainly exactly where they’re coming from,” he advises legitimate gun owners to make sure their weapons are secured.