Halifax Regional Police will join federal gun buyback program this spring.

Halifax Regional Police will participate in the federal assault-style firearms buyback and begin collecting eligible firearms this spring, and owners must register by the end of March to take part.

Halifax Regional Police will take part in the federal government's assault-style firearms buyback and will begin collecting eligible firearms this spring. Chief Don MacLean said the move responds in part to Nova Scotia's high rate of intimate partner violence and is intended to reduce the presence of firearms in communities. Ottawa outlawed about 2,500 types of guns in May 2020, including the AR-15, and the federal buyback program launched last month. The force said federal funding will cover participating officers' overtime so front-line and investigative policing is not affected. Key details: - Halifax will collect eligible firearms as part of the federal assault-style firearms compensation program and expects collections to begin this spring. - Owners of now-banned firearms may declare interest in the buyback program until the end of March, after the program opened last month. - After registering, owners can turn in firearms at participating police stations or mobile collection units and receive payment for disposal and deactivation. - Halifax Regional Police said the program participation is funded by the federal government and that officers working on the program will be paid overtime by Ottawa. - Prohibited firearms must be disposed of or permanently deactivated by the end of the amnesty period on Oct. 30; possession after that date could lead to criminal charges and loss of licences. - Several provinces (New Brunswick, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba) have said they will not administer the program, and earlier rollouts such as in Cape Breton drew local opposition and public discussion about program costs. Summary: Halifax's participation provides a local collection option and is presented by officials as part of broader efforts to limit firearms availability amid concerns about intimate partner violence. The next administrative steps noted are the end-of-March registration deadline for owners who wish to join the buyback and the Oct. 30 deadline for disposal or permanent deactivation. The program's broader rollout and provincial decisions on administration remain a factor in how the initiative proceeds.