Amnesty program takes dozens of guns off London streets

A province-wide gun amnesty program has taken dozens of guns off the streets of London.

City police announced Wednesday that a total of 69 guns and more than a dozen kilograms of ammunition were voluntarily surrendered by London residents during the month of April.

"I think it's a good thing," said Inspector William Berg. "I think the more guns we get off the street, the less opportunity there is [for them] to get into the wrong hands if their house gets broke into or anything of that nature."

The items included:

• 46 long guns
• 10 handguns/restricted firearms
• 4 prohibited firearms (handguns)
• 9 BB guns
• 15 kilograms of ammunition

Most of the firearms that were turned into London police were long guns. Berg said they were surrendered for different reasons.

"Sometimes they're passed on through the estate of someone who's deceased. Sometimes the legal gun owners don't renew their licensing because they no longer want the firearms but don't know what to do with them."

All of the items will be destroyed.

Guns not used in crimes

No weapons-related criminal charges were laid in connection with the firearms turned in under the program. Berg said the amnesty did not apply to guns that had been used in the commission of a crime.

"We test for (that) when we take possession of the gun…There were no [such] cases."

The gun amnesty program was lead by the Ontario Provincial Police in collaboration with many municipal police services across the province.

"They saw an increase in some rural break-and-enters where firearms were stolen … and decided to initiate this across the province," said Berg.

Midway through the program, the OPP reported they had received 267 firearms, but they haven't released total numbers yet. Final figures are expected to be released next week.