Tips help police campaign to crack down on illegal guns
Posted July 25, 2015 8:51 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s been more than a month since the launch of a joint policing campaign to crack down on the use of illegal guns across the Lower Mainland.
More than 60 tips have come in, some very credible that police have been able to follow up.
Linda Annis with CrimeStoppers says there are tens of thousands of illegal firearms in the region and they are almost always carried by criminals.
“They may not necessarily be gang members but they aren’t people that are using them for good reason. It could be anything from using it for a bank robbery, a robbery of some sort or for the intention of actually killing or murdering somebody,” she explains. “That is what illegal guns are used for. The gun that you have to go hunting with, that’s not considered an illegal weapon and those aren’t the ones that we are looking for. We are looking for the ones that are in the hands of gang members or people who should not have them.”
“People may personally know individuals with these guns, but because they’re close, they may think it’s too risky to speak out and do something about it. We’re giving them the way to get past that,” says Annis. “Violent crime involving illegal guns is increasing at an alarming rate, and for every person carrying one of these weapons, someone else has information that could lead police to seizing these guns. Crime Stoppers is offering them a safe way to do the right thing.”
The “Cash for Guns” campaign consists of large digital billboards aimed specifically at family members of those with illegal guns. It involves Vancouver Police, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit and border agents.
The goal is to get 500 of these weapons off the streets by next year. If you have information about an illegal gun it could lead to a $2,000 reward.
