RCMP will go slow with gun law enforcement

AARON SPITZER

Nunavut’s RCMP division says its members won’t actively target violators of the new gun law — at least for now.

“This is very new legislation and we’re going to take a very gradual and reactive approach to it,” said Sgt. Mark Hennigar of the RCMP’s V Division, which oversees law enforcement in Nunavut.

“We’re not going to actively seek out people at this time,” he said. “Certainly it’s nothing that’s an urgent issue.”

A go-slow approach is typical for enforcing new laws, Hennigar said. It gives both the public and the police a chance to become familiar with the legislation.

Ottawa’s controversial new Firearms Act came into effect Jan. 1. As of that date it became illegal to possess firearms without a licence. Licences must also be presented at retail stores to legally purchase ammunition.

Though the RCMP won’t be hunting down scofflaws, that doesn’t mean they’ll look the other way when they encounter licence violations in the course of their duties.

“The RCMP is obviously responsible for the enforcement of federal laws, and we obviously have to do that,” Hennigar said. “We’ll deal with each issue on a case-by-case basis.”

According to the act, licence violations carry a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, and fines as high as $2,000. Courts, however, seldom hand out maximum penalties.

Retailers who sell bullets or shells to unlicensed customers also stand to be fined.

But Hennigar said the RCMP doesn’t plan any sting operations to try to catch merchants selling ammo illegally.

“We’re not developing or implementing any special enforcement measures pertaining to the firearms legislation,” he said.

Backlog slows licensing

Though the vast majority of Nunavummiut who own guns are already licensed, many others who applied before the Jan. 1 deadline have not yet received their permits.

Such people are still in compliance with the Firearms Act, say officials with the Canadian Firearms Centre, which is overseeing the implementation of the law.

Ottawa has granted a grace period for those people until June 30, said Michelle Snyder, a communications officer with the Firearms Centre. By that time, anyone who applied by the deadline should have received their licence.

Despite the grace period, however, applicants still can’t purchase ammunition until their permit is in hand.

Over the last few months Canadians have sent in licence applications in droves, creating a backlog at the licence-processing centre in Miramichi, N.B.

According to Snyder, people who mailed in their licence applications right before the deadline probably shouldn’t expect to receive a permit until next month.

Applications that are incomplete, or that require a more thorough criminal-background check, could take even longer to process.

“I know the backlog has gone down. They’re working very hard,” Snyder said. “The main thing is just be patient, and they’ll receive something.”

Applicants curious about the status of their permits can contact the Canadian Firearms Centre hotline at (800) 731-4000.

NTI builds case

Meanwile, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. is taking new steps to build its case against Ottawa’s new gun law.

NTI is currently taking the federal government to court, asserting that the firearms law is in violation of the 1993 Nunavut land claims agreement, which guarantees that Inuit may hunt without licences or restrictions. The case will likely be heard this spring or summer.

As part of that case, NTI is soliciting feedback from Nunavut Inuit who have complaints about the act. In order to gather evidence for their court challenge — and also to provide further information about the law — NTI has established a hotline for Inuit who have had trouble applying for licenses, getting licenses approved, or buying ammunition.

The NTI hotline number is 1-800-780-4036.

Many in Nunavut have worried that the firearms law will see only limited compliance in the territory due to language barriers in filling out license forms.

But according to federal officials, compliance in Nunavut is as high as in many southern provinces. As of November — the last time hard data was available — over 70 per cent of Nunavummiut gun owners were already registered.

According to Snyder, applications from Nunavut were steady throughout December, and there didn’t seem to be a surge of applications from the territory just before the Jan. 1 deadline.