Year in Review

Commissioner of Firearms - 2008 Report

• June Amalgamation
• Firearms Compliance Incentives
• Public Agents Firearms Regulations
• Canadian Firearms Program th Anniversary Event
• Enhanced Screening Internet Unit

2008 Canadian Firearms Program Highlights

June 2008 Amalgamation

In June 2008, the RCMP aligned its two firearms-focused organizations, the CAFC and FSSD, to bolster the front-line enforcement capacity of the program. The CFP came under the direction of Policing Support Services (PSS) and a new Assistant Commissioner was named as director general.

The consolidation of these two support and information groups improves and focuses the CFP’s ability to provide assistance in firearms-related matters and investigations. It also broadens the range of expertise and resources that can be offered to PSS clients and partners from one source.

Firearms Compliance Incentives

In May 2008, the Minister of Public Safety announced changes intended to encourage compliance among firearms owners and improve client service for lawful firearms owners. The incentives are in effect until May 16, 2009. They include:

• continuation of the fee waiver for firearms licence renewals or upgrades;
• continuation of the amnesty that allows individuals with expired licences or those in possession of unregistered non-restricted firearms to take steps to register these firearms without risk of prosecution; and
• An opportunity for eligible holders of expired Possession Only Licences (POL) to apply for a new POL.

Public Agents Firearms Regulations

On October 31, 2008, new Public Agents Firearms Regulations came into effect. They require agencies that possess firearms to report them to the CFP.

These are categorized as either agency firearms, which are those used by employees (also known as service firearms), or protected firearms, those that have been found, seized or are otherwise being held by the agency. The regulations apply to all police agencies, courts and other public service agencies at all levels -- federal, provincial and municipal. They also contain a number of provisions intended to ensure the safe handling and management of firearms in the possession of public service agencies.

These regulations benefit the agencies and contribute to public safety because they provide a valuable investigative and intelligence tool to combat firearms trafficking. They are having a significant impact on investigators’ efforts to monitor the location, movement and distribution of illicit firearms in Canada. Maintaining a centralized database of protected firearms will make it easier for law enforcement officers to identify what types of firearms are being seized nationally and in their jurisdiction, and where those firearms are coming from.

Canadian Firearms Program 10th Anniversary Event

The Canadian Firearms Program and its Central Processing Site (CPS) in Miramichi, New Brunswick, celebrated their 10th anniversary in November 2008. The celebration took place at the CPS, where guests and speakers included CFP employees and municipal, provincial and federal political representatives as well as a significant number of RCMP officers.

Impressively, it was noted that more than 10 per cent of CPS employees have been with the program since its inception. All of the employees were praised for organizing and fundraising for the event and identified as a prime example of what the RCMP is striving to be: an adaptive, accountable, trusted organization of fully engaged employees demonstrating outstanding leadership, and providing world-class services.

Staff Quotes from Central Processing Site:

“I believe the CFP provides a valuable service to our partners and to all Canadians by helping to make our country a safer place to live.”

“It is difficult to comprehend how much change and progress has been made with the CFP and the CPS over the past 10 years.”

“After coming under the RCMP umbrella...morale at the CPS is at an all-time high, with staff feeling we receive recognition for our accomplishments and achievements.”

Enhanced Screening Internet Unit

Following the tragic shooting rampage at Dawson College in Montreal in September 2006, the government approved enhanced security screening for first-time restricted-firearms-licence applicants. This includes interviewing the applicants and their references as well as Internet screening of the applicant.

This Internet screening is carried out by the Enhanced Screening Internet Unit, which has two service components: support service to CFOs and intelligence gathering.

In its primary role, the unit provides CFOs and Firearms Officers with any investigation-supportive information uncovered during an Internet search.

The secondary role involves open-source Internet searches, including a variety of known websites, blogs and social networking sites. A significant trend with firearms crime and violence is pre-event advertisement by individuals via the Internet.

Preliminary and open-source searches are used to gather intelligence and leads of this nature for CFOs and police, allowing them to initiate or assist in investigations. This enables CFOs and staff to identify public safety issues that may not be apparent on an application form or reflected in the telephone interview. The CFP will dedicate more than 40 fulltime employees to this task of enhanced and Internet screening of firearms licence applicants.