Shelburne Free Press
https://shelburnefreepress.ca/?p=20749
Export date: Fri Mar 29 13:24:15 2024 / +0000 GMT

OPP reporting positive results from April’s gun amnesty initiative


Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and its municipal law enforcement partners have received and rendered safe hundreds of weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition during a month-long Gun Amnesty.

During April 2018, the OPP received 592 gun amnesty calls for service, 86 of which (or 14.5 per cent) were received through the online reporting option on the OPP website; recovered 689 items through appointments made with OPP officers including 267 rifles, 156 shotguns, 113 prohibited firearms, and 62 other guns such as replica and vintage weapons; and, collected 12,615 pieces of ammunition.

All Ontario police services participated in the month-long initiative. During that time, a total of 1,503 guns were voluntarily surrendered in non-OPP jurisdictions.

A majority of firearms that have been surrendered to police will be destroyed, but a number of guns will be retained for historical, educational or training purposes. Although the gun amnesty has officially ended, police will continue to accept submissions from the public. Interested gun owners may call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or their local police service's non-emergency lines to arrange for officers to attend and safely retrieve the weapons.

Police continue to encourage members of the public to turn in unwanted weapons despite the conclusion of this initiative. Police retain the ability to exercise discretion (amnesty) regarding weapons related charges at all times, not just during this month long event. The public is reminded that no one should ever deliver guns, ammunition or military ordinance directly to police facilities.

For more information on the Canadian Firearms Program visit the RCMP's national website at http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/index-eng.htm. There you will find some general safety information, as well as information on Inherited Firearms.

OPP endorses visor card to assist deaf people
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is committed to continuous improvement and finding new ways to deliver services to meet the diverse needs of our communities. In partnership with the Ontario Association of the Deaf (OAD), the OPP has endorsed a visor card to assist a Deaf person to communicate with a police officer during a traffic stop.

This is the first initiative of its kind to be endorsed by a police service in Ontario. The visor card was produced by the OAD. The OAD will be distributing the visor cards to members of the Deaf community who present an Ontario Driver's Licence during their annual Mayfest Festival being held from May 11-12, 2018.

The visor card may assist with bridging the communication gap by facilitating alternate communication methods such as hand signals and writing out instructions. The visor card includes images of what a police officer may need to see for identification from the Deaf person along with icons of common driving violations.

“The OPP works diligently with our community partners to recognize barriers and address them to provide the highest level of services possible. In addition to a number of uniform members who are able to sign, the visor card further enhances accessibility with members of the Deaf community by improving the quality of communication between a Deaf person and an OPP officer,” Commissioner Vince Hawkes said.

Police continue to warn about discarded needles
The Shelburne Police Service is warning the public to watch out for discarded needles.

The Shelburne Police Service has received a number of calls from the public regarding needles being discarded carelessly in public areas and parks. Not only can this activity be an indicator of intravenous drug use in the community, but the discarded needles can pose a health risk to the public if not handled and discarded properly.

Shelburne Police ask that if needles or syringes are found that you call them at (519)925-3312 x1 for proper and safe disposal. Please do not try to pick these needles up yourself. The Shelburne Police also ask that you speak to your children about this problem and teach them never to touch a needle or syringe that they may find. If a child finds a needle or syringe please teach them to tell an adult.

If anyone's skin is pierced with a discarded needle, they are strongly encouraged to seek medical attention right away.
Post date: 2018-05-17 14:33:33
Post date GMT: 2018-05-17 18:33:33

Post modified date: 2018-05-17 14:33:33
Post modified date GMT: 2018-05-17 18:33:33

Export date: Fri Mar 29 13:24:15 2024 / +0000 GMT
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