504 guns handed to Toronto police in week 1 of buyback program
Posted May 4, 2019 7:15 am.
Last Updated May 4, 2019 7:40 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Toronto police say they collected 504 firearms during the first week of their three week gun buyback program.
Police say the 349 long guns and 155 handguns will all be destroyed.
Any Toronto resident who wants police to pick up an operable, registered or unregistered gun from their home will be paid $200 for a long gun and $350 for a handgun.
The guns will be inspected to determine if they’ve been used in a crime, and people who hand them over to police will not face a charge for possessing or unsafely storing a firearm.
Anyone who has a gun they want to turn in is asked to call police so an officer can come pick it up – they do not want people bringing guns to police stations.
Earlier this week, a Toronto police inspector faced some lighthearted ridicule on social media for the age of some of the guns turned in so far.
While the guns may be old and the tweet attracted a large response, Insp. Paul MacIntyre replied saying it is still a positive step forward that they are no longer in people’s homes.
The gun buyback program ends on May 17.
With files from News Staff
