City council report recommends Winnipeg sign onto federal assault-style firearm buyback program

A restricted gun licence holder holds a AR-15 at his home in Langley, B.C. on May 1, 2020. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)

A new report that will be heard by the mayor’s inner circle recommends the city sign on to the federal assault-style firearm buyback program to secure funding for Winnipeg police.

In May 2020, the federal government banned 1,500 assault-style firearms (ASF) and that number has since grown to more than 2,000.

A buyback program was started for retail stores and is set to expand to individuals in 2025.

The Canadian government included an amnesty order to protect people from criminal charges until Oct. 30, 2025.

If councillors vote to approve the report, the federal government will provide Winnipeg police more than $3.4 million to collect, transport, and store the firearms until they are destroyed.

A third party group would be contracted by the federal government to destroy the guns.

“Based on previous municipal and provincial amnesties, the WPS has developed a project plan to collect ASFs, which will include the use of Special Duty police services to mitigate negative impacts on police resources and responses to calls for service, as well as dedicated secure storage for the collected firearms,” the report reads.

According to the Government of Canada’s website, anyone who possesses one of these guns is told to securely store them until more details about the program are available.

The report said police would participate in the program until the end of the year.

Council must enter an agreement with the federal government before the funds are available.