Brent Mitchell owns Battlefords Bait and Tackle, a local business that has been in the community for nearly 40 years. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

COMBAT GUN CRIME

Sask. firearms dealer enhances tracking of sales

Dec 16, 2024 | 12:20 PM

A Battlefords firearms dealer is taking extra steps to ensure weapons don’t end up in the wrong hands.

Brent Mitchell of Battlefords Bait and Tackle said he and his IT team created a system that allows for easy and fast tracking of sold guns, gun powder or black powder and those who purchased it.

“We can track it down here, and literally, we just search that and boom, there it is. There’s the person, their card, where it was purchased, when it was purchased.”

The system also assigns a unique code word for each item they sell, making them easier to locate and identify even without the purchaser’s name.

“In the past, people that had non-restricted licenses would just go into a gun store or gun show, show their license, check their photograph on it, and the expiry date, similar to a driver’s license, and they could purchase a firearm because it showed that they have a valid license,” he added.

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People barred from owning firearms due to criminal records or mental health issues were exploiting the system by using fake IDs, misleading dealers into making sales.

“So the legislation changed a while back and required the dealers now to all use an automated system, or to call in if they can’t use an automated system, and they can go in and see if the card’s valid.”

The dealer retains the data, ensuring it can be provided promptly if RCMP request the information to assist with investigations.

Saskatchewan’s Chief Firearms Officer (CFO) Commissioner Robert Freberg said a collaboration with the RCMP’s National Weapons Enforcement Support Team is helping to educate firearms dealers nationwide about common criminal patterns and how to recognize unusual behavior.

“We’ve certainly had calls from dealers that they have seen something or heard something that has been said to them during the course of the transaction that they found alarming [or] out of the ordinary,” Freberg shared.

Mitchell added dealers can’t restrict someone from purchasing a firearm if they have a possession acquisition license, but they can flag the individual(s) for potential or suspected issues. Officers can then examine the individual’s background, consult with others and assess if they are of good character or if they may be struggling with issues like drugs or alcohol that could pose a risk to themselves or the public.

Acknowledging that gun-related crime is a complex issue not solved by simply banning guns, Freberg stressed the need for the CFO and RCMP to collaborate with gun dealers and the community to raise awareness about gun safety. He said legal gun owners are not the problem.

“Banning guns is nothing more than banning cars for people who drive impaired. We need an education program focused on preventing impaired driving; banning vehicles will not stop impaired drivers,” he noted.

Earlier this month, the federal government announced new gun control measures, adding several hundred models and variants to its list of 2,000 weapons already banned.

Despite best efforts to address the pressing issue of gun crime through prevention, proactive measures, and educational approaches, a Saskatchewan RCMP report revealed there was a 271 per cent increase in firearm offences when comparing data from 2014 to 2023.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com