Over 3,100 guns surrendered through Gun Buyback Program

Over 3,100 guns surrendered through Gun Buyback Program

Thursday, June 20, 2019 - 1:30 PM
Corporate Communications:  416-808-7100

The Toronto Police Service received more than 3,100 unwanted guns from Toronto residents from April 26 to May 17, 2019.

Over the three-week Gun Buyback Program, which was funded by the City of Toronto, police collected over 2,200 long guns and over 900 handguns for destruction. It is the largest number of firearms collected through a gun buyback program in Toronto.

Chief Mark Saunders said the program was asked for by members of the public who no longer wanted these guns in their homes.

"This is a great outlet for the public to get rid of unwanted guns that may pose a risk because they are improperly stored and otherwise neglected. They can fall into the wrong hands through theft and be sold on the street," he said. "This program is part of a larger strategy to help reduce the supply of guns available to criminals. I’m confident we’ve kept some guns out of the wrong hands through this program.'

In July 2018, Toronto City Council adopted the Immediate Steps to Address Gun Violence report, which included a Council decision to establish a gun buyback program. The City of Toronto funded the program with unanimous approval from City Council.

Under the Gun Buyback Program, Toronto residents were able to request police pick up a registered or unregistered gun from their home for destruction for compensation amounting to $200 for long guns and $350 for handguns. Residents who turned over guns to police for destruction would not face charges for possessing or unsafely storing a firearm.

For more news, visit TPSnews.ca.

Kevin Masterman, Corporate Communications, for the Office of the Chief