Come June, New Westminster residents will have the opportunity to dispose of any unwanted and unregistered firearms or weapons through a provincial gun amnesty program.
The program - which is a collaboration between the provincial government, the RCMP and the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police - will run until the end of June. During this time anyone with an unregistered, or unwanted, firearm, weapon, imitation weapon and related equipment, including ammunition can declare it to the New Westminster Police Department, according to a press release.
Anyone with a weapon or firearm they'd like to turn in to the New Westminster police need to follow three important steps: call the police department at 604-525-5411; the callers will then be asked to give the make, model and calibre of the firearms being turned over as well as any ammunition; and then a police officer will pick up the weapons to seize and transport them "in a safe manner."
"Members of the public are asked not to transport the firearms or ammunition," states the release.
People are also asked not to bring them directly to the New Westminster Police Department office.
The aim of this province-wide program is to improve community and police safety by reducing the number of firearms in cities and towns throughout B.C. During the last gun amnesty program in 2006, more than 3,200 guns were turned into police. Some of the more unique declarations included a rocket launcher and machine gun, according to the release.
For more information, visit www.bcgunamnesty.ca.
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