Regina police chief says 'no thanks' to handgun ban

Police chief Evan Bray has spoken out against a proposed handgun ban to be established in Regina.

At a Board of Police Commissioners meeting held last week, Bray stated on behalf of the Regina Police Service that restrictions on handgun ownership would not reduce crime levels in the city.

“Predominantly, firearm-related crime in our community are not committed with handguns.” Bray said. “It’s long-barrelled rifles. shotguns, sawed-off, whatever you want to say. Even replica guns prove a bigger problem in the community than handguns."

According to CKRM, a local AM radio station based in Regina, gun seizures are frequent in the city, with 57 alone having occurred this January according to monthly crime numbers released by Regina Police this week.

This has occurred amid the tabling of federal gun legislation that would allow municipalities to ban handguns. Many Canadian mayors, including John Tory of Toronto and Kennedy Stewart of Vancouver, have expressed support for this legislation in what has been described as a huge win for the gun-control lobby.