The UCP government is continuing its fight against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal gun grab — now requiring individuals and organizations employed to confiscate firearms to first be licenced by the province..The UCP government said this action fulfils a commitment under the Alberta Firearms Act..The UCP government said despite opposition from provinces and territories to the use of police resources, the federal government is signalling that it is prepared to take front-line police officers off the street to implement the federal firearms confiscation program..Public Safety Canada also appears to be considering contracting with untrained personnel to supplement the use of policing resources..“Public Safety Canada is a large and inefficient bureaucracy. It does not have the resources or the wherewithal to fulfil its plans. In normal circumstances, the federal government would have hit the pause button," Alberta Minister of Justice Tyler Shandro said.."Unfortunately, we continue to receive indications that the opposite is occurring. Their decision to move forward with the confiscation program will jeopardize provincial requirements for the safe handling, transportation and storage of firearms. We will not allow that to happen.”.The UCP government said as Canadians’ concerns about violent crime rise, the decision to potentially waste policing resources and contract with untrained personnel is "reckless" and would "compromise public safety by jeopardizing the safe storage and handling of firearms," two areas of provincial jurisdiction..“The Alberta chief firearms office continues to call on the federal government to focus its resources on illegal firearms activity rather than targeting law-abiding firearms owners. Taking firearms away from responsible owners will not improve public safety," said Teri Bryant, chief firearms officer of Alberta..This regulation does not affect normal police activity, such as having to confiscate a firearm as part of an investigation. There are 341,988 possession/acquisition licence holders in Alberta..Albertans own the second-highest number of firearms classified as restricted or prohibited by the federal government..There are 127 approved shooting ranges and more than 650 firearms-related businesses in Alberta..On average, 30,000 Albertans complete mandatory firearms safety course training annually, as a first step to obtaining their firearms licence. In 2021, that number jumped to 38,000, indicating a significant upward trend in legal gun ownership in the province..READ MORE: First step against Trudeau's gun grab using Alberta Firearms Act.In April, a new regulation restricting municipalities and police from entering into unilateral agreements with the federal government was created under Bill 8 the Alberta Firearms Act..The UCP government said it is providing clarity to municipalities, police services and police commissions about their responsibility when considering accepting federal funding to enforce a federal firearms confiscation program..The regulation requires that municipalities, police services and police commissions receive written approval from Shandro before entering into funding agreements or accepting funding from the federal government to take part in the federal firearms confiscation program..This requirement allows Shandro to review funding agreements and grants to ensure they are consistent with the safe delivery of firearms programming in Alberta..“The Alberta Firearms Act was introduced on March 7. Twenty-one days later, the law took effect when it received royal assent,” Shandro said.
