Winnipeg police getting more money to deal with firearm trafficking
The Winnipeg Police Service is receiving new money from the provincial government to put a dent into firearm trafficking.
Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen announced more than $17,000 will be given to the Winnipeg Police Service to help deal with gun crimes in the city. The money will be used to purchase equipment for officers and give them training to allow them to better track and restore serial numbers of seized firearms.
During his announcement Goertzen said police services across Canada, including in Winnipeg, are seeing increased gun crimes, including trafficking.
“It is alarming, it is dangerous, it’s a trend that our frontline police officers are seeing, and they themselves are put at risk as part of this trend.” Goertzen said. “It’s a concern to bystanders; it’s a concern to civilians who could be at risk of stray gunfire.”
Firearms investigations in Winnipeg are completed by the Firearms Investigative Analysis Section (FIAS) of the Winnipeg Police Service. The unit examines seized guns and attempts to identify their sources by restoring destroyed serial numbers. Goertzen said four WPS officers recently received training from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to examine and restore destroyed serial numbers.
“Any firearm with its serial number obliterated is a crime gun, and is a trademark of a smuggled or trafficked firearm for a criminal purpose,” said Insp. Elton Hall with the WPS.
According to the province, FIAS seized 859 guns in 2021, up from 721 in 2020. Of the firearms seized in 2021, 89 firearms had their serial numbers restored.
So far this year, 455 crime guns have been seized in Winnipeg, with 79 serial numbers restored, Hall said.
He added restoring the serial number allows officers to track down where the firearms came from, to find out if it was stolen, or if it was used in other crimes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.