Residents angry as RCMP seize guns from High River homes

This is in Calgary, Canada, where currently flooding has resulted in the evacuation of a town called High River.

Read the Article Here

‘It’s just like Nazi Germany,’ says resident

That news didn’t sit well with a crowd of frustrated residents who had planned to breach a police checkpoint northwest of the town as an evacuation order stretched into its eighth day.

About 30 RCMP officers set up a blockade at the checkpoint, preventing 50 residents from walking into the town. Dozens more police cars, lights on, could be seen lining streets in the town on standby.

Seems as though the police utilized methods of forced entry into residents homes in order to seize the weapons. What do you ATS'ers think?? I seem to recall something similar happened during Katrina.

What was forced about it??? They didnt' hold anyone down by gunpoint and demanded there guns... This is a oddball of a situation... Why was the town evacuated in the first place???

This doesn't make sense....

All the guns are in a safe place...

I'd be pissed...

From the article: “People have a significant amount of money invested in firearms ... so we put them in a place that we control and that they’re safe.”

Ok...I'll buy that line (to some degree). Sure gun collections can be valuable investments and it's admirable they wanted to secure them. But stamp collections, jewelry, antiques, and consumer electronics are also valuable. Why were the firearms viewed as such a priority when it comes to protecting the local residents' assets?

Edit: Those folks have been through enough, I really hope there is no agenda with this.

reply to post by sulaw


The town of High River was under mandatory evacuation due to flood waters, the residents have been kept out for up too 8 days now. All the while the town was on lockdown by the "thieves" (RCMP) they took it upon themselves under the guise of searching for people who held out. To go about and confiscate all firearms that they deemed to be improperly kept or secured. They have not given definition of what they mean bye that.

So in turn many residents expect to come home to a house ransacked by the "Gang in Blue" who turned over I'm sure what ever wasn't displaced by water. The police say that they went house to house checking but other reports have them stopping at selective houses, with accordance to registered firearms owners and specifically singling those houses out for ransacking and confiscation.

In turn this has me moving every legal firearm I have away from my home and to an area much more secure from the only "GANG" I fear and that's the trigger happy, roid monkey RCMP.

I see that we now have a new protocol in Canada in the event of a disaster or a SHTF scenario we are to arm ourselves with every weapon we have and become one man militias if we intend to keep what, keeps us safe.

SaneThinking

What an odd situation,I guess they were worried of civil unrest, and people taking the law into their own hands against looters...

There must be more to this story.

reply to post by SaneThinking


Thank you for clarifying Sane... This is some facathta...

Question: Do you have to register your guns in Canada??? I dont' know Canadian laws....

Was the homes that they seized the guns the only ones??? Or did they inspect all homes???

Originally posted by anon4m05

Seems as though the police utilized methods of forced entry into residents homes in order to seize the weapons. What do you ATS'ers think??

Umm, I think when someone forcefully enters your home with the intent on stealing/destroying your life and/or property, you have the right to put a bullet through their head in self defense of your person and property.

Maybe those guns the thugs were looking to steal should be put to use by the home owners against the home invaders.

‘It’s just like Nazi Germany,’ says resident

Complete with citizens, hats in hands, doing nothing to stop the steamrolling of their rights, standing idly by, too scared at act even in self defense?

Sounds about right I guess.

History always repeats.

Video Courtesy of RCMP ** Heavily edited video. They had no warrants. Allegedly did not inform residents of their intent to enter. Only some homes were searched. Guns seized w/o cause.
The cops told the people to evacuate, then the cops went into the homes afterwards and virtually looted them of personal property.

reply to post by sulaw


Yes you have to have a PAL (Possesions Acquisitions Licence) we did have a long gun registry but it was recently scrapped. So yes we need a licence to own and buy. There is also various stages of licencing (restricted and such).

Our laws required background checks a test, and a handling safety course.

And as far as which houses, kinda up in the air, some as I said. Say all house were checked. others say very selective houses were checked. Either way as the post below say house were broke into and illegally searched to me this is wrong and doesn't fit the bill for acceptability under the circumstances.

As I said no police are going to steal what I have paid for and I'll be taking "everything with me" in the event of anything happening.

SaneThinking

reply to post by AmberLeaf


This is not ok... I would be livid... Thank you for sharing that video

reply to post by SaneThinking


By the video Amber posted it only looked like selected houses were chosen...

I would agree if something like this happens where your located take as much as you can.

I'm sorry to hear about this... This is wrong on so many levels.

reply to post by SaneThinking


Damn right. I have a 12, 30-30, 22 bolt action, 30-06 and a 303 Lee Enfeild. If ever I would have to evacuate I would bring them all with me.

You know, it's not that they seem to be collecting guns that would piss me off the most. The story sounds like they are recording them for return when this is over. (have a riot if they don't then).

What pisses me off in a real sense is that it's ABOUT guns. Are they 100% sure every pet made it out and was clear? Are they sure every last person was, for that matter?? (thoughts of a house of captive women in Ohio come to mind..and likely always will now). I can think of many reasons they'd have to sweep and clear an evacuated area ..but confiscation as the PURPOSE sure isn't one of them. So many more important things to be checking. IMO.

reply to post by anon4m05


Maybe they caused the flood so that they could get to the neighborhood without any trouble. Looks like Canada is getting set up for something big and it probably has to do with Canada/US/Mexico...

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


My hope for the people involved, is they take pictures and catalogue anything that looks as if they had to search for said firearms. The report released said they were seizing firearms in open view. But I would hedge a bet that homeowners come home to find houses searched high and dry and weapons even though locked and concealed taken.

Something about this is so wrong and I stand bye what I say every last thing they may want is getting packed and coming with me.. even if I have to go purchase a damn utility trailer. RCMP = THEIVES

SaneThinking

The guns will be returned to owners after residents are allowed back in town and they provide proof of ownership, Read more: www.calgaryherald.com...

So they go in the homes without warrants, steal the residents' firearms and then tell them they can't have them unless they prove they own it?

Seems Harper caught wind of this pretty quickly.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office is urging the RCMP in High River, Alta., to focus on "more important" tasks and to return the guns officers took from homes while searching for victims in the evacuated flood zone.

Harper's office issued a statement Friday morning in quick reaction to the news that the RCMP had taken some firearms that they said weren't stored properly in empty homes.

"If any firearms were taken, we expect they will be returned to their owners as soon as possible," the statement said. "We believe the RCMP should focus on more important tasks such as protecting lives and private property."

Source

reply to post by anon4m05


With half there houses under water and a lot of there possessions likely gone or useless I think the denizens of this Canadian town has bigger worries for right now then there guns, which they left behind because of the watter. During such events things tend to get hectic, I dont see much of that happening but you never know, add guns into the mix and things get more complicated. If they don't get there guns back like the Stephen Harper character prime minister or whoever he is said they would, then it may be time to make a big fuss about it, or sue for damages and theft.

Till then your not likely to need your gun when your family and house is under water. Things tend to get hectic and desperate under such situations its better not to add more fuel to the fire. And to the guy who said he will take everything with him under the event of such a situation, what are you going to do strap the TV and the fridge to your back and doggy paddle out of there shooting fish along the way, sure you can take your gun, but it will likely be more smart to take something like some camping gear and essentials for roughing it out for a few weeks or months or who knows what. Or better yet your case and credit cards because your likely to be spending some time in hotels government makeshift camps, or it may be time to visit your long lost cousins, or who knows what, and who know what else. Water can do some messy damage to such buildings, even when they get back the last thing on there mind would be there guns as they would have to rebuild damages and clean up, and if guns are on there minds it better be for hunting game or something.

I don't know a likely scenario, maybe the Canadian government does not trust its own citizens. Or maybe there just taking precautions, or maybe its all one big plot to steal your guns. Who knows, who cares.

This reminded us to write down the serial numbers of our rifles. And put them in a safe place, just in case of flood or fire. Apparently this was also done a couple of years ago, when part of the town Slave Lake burned down.

No other way to prove ownership as rifles don't need to be registered....

the prime ministers office ordered the guns returned today, i think this was done by the prov govt or rcmp not the fed as they are more pro gun