If your able to, do the paperwork and send it in before your hunt. At least that way you can say you've put in the effort. But with the current amnesty in place, as long as you have your PAL/POL and H.L. I'd think you'd be fine. Good luck .
When three couples in their 50’s and 60’s returned from a pleasure-hunting trip along the Stikine River last Friday, they weren’t prepared for what would take place.
Ron Colebank, his wife Crystal, George Neudorf, his wife Judy, along with Williams Lake residents Thelma and Fred Hoeffels returned to the boat launch at Telegraph Creek last Friday morning.
As they began to unload their boats, they were approached by a man dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt, who asked to see their rifles. They asked if he was a game warden; he replied "No I’m an RCMP member." After looking at their rifles he gave them back after making the comment that “People around here think I’m an a**-***e, but I’m just doing my job."
The group asked for some identification but the officer said, "I don’t have to give you any identification" and left, although one in the group says he did say his name.
Between 30 and 45 minutes later he returned, this time wearing a vest and his gun belt. He again approached the group asking for their rifles. This time he said they were being seized because (1) some of the rifles were not registered, (2) The PAL of one of the people in the group had expired.
In all, he took 7 rifles from the group.
During this time Ron Colebank says, "We had a trailer hitch break and I was running around trying to get it repaired because the water is very swift on the Stikine at the launch and we were afraid to lose a boat. The officer, who still hadn’t positively identified himself, kept following me asking me for the guns and I was using some colorful language towards him" says Colebank. "I said to the officer, I can understand why people think you’re an a**-**le." said Coleman. "At that point he told me he was charging me with Obstruction of Justice, and he got on a phone he was holding. An hour or so later two more police officers appeared who said they were from the Dease Lake Detachment."
Colebank and group were taken to the Dease Lake RCMP office where one of the officers said "We have 70 to 80 guns here that have been seized from people who don’t have them registered." Colebank says his group was there for a long time "We were at the Dease Lake station for about 4 to 5 hours". In the end, Colebank says the officer from Telegraph Creek came back into the office and said the obstruction charges were being dropped. Colebank says "I don’t know how he could drop charges when there were none officially laid."
The group of six then headed home without their rifles after being told they would have to return to Dease Lake to appear in Court to get their rifles back.
Opinion250 News contacted the Officer in Charge of the Dease Lake detachment, Sergeant Hunter. He says he will be talking to the officer in question later this week. When asked how many firearms were in storage at the RCMP facility in Dease Lake, he said, ‘No comment”. But he did acknowledge that all firearms seized from the region are stored in that office.
All six of those involved in the matter say none of them received a receipt for their rifles. When pressed for ID one of the officers said, "Can’t you see from the uniform who we are?" Colebank says "At the very end I got a card from a Const Brad. Robinson."
Sergeant Hunter says he would like to talk to the six people involved in the matter and he has asked them to try and reach him. “With their firearms, eventually they will be returned to their respective owners."
Meantime Jay Hill, House Whip and MP says yes there is an amnesty but the officer is right, there is an amnesty against criminal charges if your rifles are not registered but that doesn’t mean police officers cannot seize them. "That also applies to an expired PAL" says Hill. "It’s the best we have been able to do without a majority in the House." Hill adds "Police officers must however understand from what we have done, to show discretion." Hill says police in rural areas should show some common sense "A warning would have been more than sufficient in this case and it is plain to see that the officer in question showed very bad taste."
Hill says he will pass the matter over to Stockwell Day, Minister of Public Safety.
As for the 6 who were at the core of the seizure, all have returned home, with no idea of where their rifles are, no receipt for them being seized, no claim ticket, and as Colebank says “I never did get a card from the officer who started it all."
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BCWF ALERT
John B Holdstock
BC Wildlife Federation
Kelowna, BC
I would never hand over anything to any "cop" who does not produce proper identification. If he is abusive in his language and demanor, I will file a police misconduct report. If he wants to drag me down to the station, I'll make sure he gets a hassle from me when we get there. I'll file copmlaints etc against the officer, I'll go to the highest authority, heck, I'd even file a complaint against the RCMP if I had to. I respect police and their authority, and I'll surrender guns etc. if they show me proper ID and have a good reason. Otherwise, I'll make their life hell.
if someone comes up to me in sweat pants and a t-shirt and ask to see my rifle he might be seeing something else.This is not proper police procedure you would think they would have enough common sense to produce there I.D.If this had been a scam and the rifles were stolen the first thing the police would have said was why did you give them to someone who couldn't or wouldn't produce a badge or I.D.
Hunter
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