Notice the erroneous information in the article:
Federal regulations require gun owners to keep firearms in locked vaults or containers. When guns are being stored, they must be unloaded and disabled, either by a trigger lock, cable lock or by removing the bolt.Province will work with RCMP to return High River firearms
By Jason van Rassel, Calgary Herald June 28, 2013 3:05 PM
Comment 0 Solicitor General Jonathan Denis said the government will work with the RCMP to return firearms that police removed from evacuated homes in High River to their rightful owners.
A move by the RCMP to seize guns found during door-to-door searches of High River during a complete evacuation of the town of 13,000 residents has angered some area residents.
Legislation gives police additional powers during a state of emergency to enter homes to check on residents� welfare and ensure there are no safety issues.
Denis said in an interview Friday he wants to ensure firearms seized under that authority are returned to owners in a timely way.
�What I�m looking forward to hearing from the RCMP is they have an orderly process for returning people�s property to them,� Denis said.
�I will work with the RCMP to ensure there�s an orderly return of property.�
The RCMP released a written statement Friday pledging to return guns to owners �as soon as practically possible.�
The statement said the guns were found �in plain view� during search and rescue operations during the evacuation.
�The last thing any gun owner wants is to have their guns fall into the wrong hands. Residents of High River can be assured that firearms now in the possession of the RCMP are in safe hands, and will be returned to them as soon as practically possible,� Assistant Commissioner Marianne Ryan said in the RCMP�s written statement.
As solicitor general, Denis and his department oversee policing in the province and have a 20-year contract with the RCMP to act as the provincial police force in small towns and rural areas.
However, Denis stressed the police don�t take specific direction from the government on operations and tactics.
�Policing is independent. There was no direction from our government to do this,� Denis said.
�I have every confidence they�re going to get this right in the end, and there was no intention to step on the rights of law-abiding gun owners.�
The provincial government has released a letter Denis wrote Thursday to the RCMP�s commander in Alberta, Dep. Commissioner Dale McGowan, expressing concerns about the seizures on behalf of High River residents.
�First, I would ask you to please confirm that these firearms are stored and not confiscated or seized,� Denis wrote.
Federal regulations require gun owners to keep firearms in locked vaults or containers. When guns are being stored, they must be unloaded and disabled, either by a trigger lock, cable lock or by removing the bolt.
Failing to follow storage regulations can result in charges under the Criminal Code or the federal Firearms Act.
Denis acknowledged it�s quite likely residents in High River moved their guns to keep them from being damaged by flood waters � but he added police also have the ability to take that into consideration.
�My personal view is we have to consider the context we�re dealing with,� he said.
�I wouldn�t be surprised people took guns out of their lockers so they wouldn�t get flooded.�
More to come on this story � the Herald is still seeking additional comment from the RCMP and others.
jvanrassel
calgaryherald.com
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