Canada’s police chiefs welcome feds’ gun control measures, worry about “complications”

Canada’s police chiefs are welcoming the new gun control measures introduced by the federal government but they have concerns about possible complications.

Evan Bray, Regina’s police chief who co-chairs the firearms committee with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, tells 680 NEWS while there are many positives in this bill, he predicts there may be trouble in letting cities have the power to ban handguns.

“I think you’re going to see some varying different rules and you’re going to see some complications in terms of what the practical approach looks like when you’re trying to operationalize something like this and this type of a ban,” Bray said.

Bray adds police chiefs had a briefing with the government on the new bill and many questions they had about implementing gun bans were not immediately answered.

“No new piece of legislation is going to be wrinkle-free,” Bray continued. “There is always going to be challenges and in the firearm world, we know that there are lots of them. So, we’re very willing to sit at the table and work with them.”

On top of the municipal handgun ban option, the legislation also brings in stiffer penalties for gun smuggling, creates new offences for altering a gun’s magazine, and will create a gun buyback program for the 15-hundred firearms the feds banned last May.

The bill has to pass through Parliament before it can become law.

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole said Tuesday the proposed law doesn’t adequately deal with the rampant use of illegal firearms.

“I think Mr. Trudeau misleads people when he tries to suggest that buying things back from hunters and other Canadians who are law-abiding is somehow going to solve the problem of shooting and criminal and gang activity in the big cities,” O’Toole said.

“It’s ignoring the real problem.”