Halifax police to participate in federal gun buyback program

Halifax Regional Police has agreed to join the federal Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program and is one of only three municipal police forces to participate; the federal government is providing $650,000 for operational costs.

Halifax Regional Police has agreed to participate in the federal government's Assault-Style Firearms Compensation Program. The force said it chose to join so gun owners have a safe, responsible way to dispose of firearms ahead of an October deadline. Chief Don MacLean linked the decision to concerns about intimate partner violence and said views on the program vary in the community. The local announcement follows federal steps to collect prohibited firearms across the country. Key details: - Halifax Regional Police is one of only three municipal police forces that have agreed to participate in the federal program. - The federal government is providing $650,000 to cover operational costs for Halifax, and participating officers will work overtime shifts to support the effort. - The program opened a nationwide declaration period last month and runs until the end of March for owners to register interest. - The federal government said a declaration does not guarantee compensation and that applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis and accepted based on available funds. - Where local police forces do not administer collections, the federal government plans to deploy Mobile Collection Units (MCUs), with RCMP providing security in some areas. - Several provinces, territories and municipal forces have declined to participate, and some provinces have introduced legal or policy measures that affect local implementation. Summary: Halifax's decision adds a local option for voluntary surrender of prohibited firearms and is part of a broader, uneven national rollout. Participants in the program will be notified in the spring to make appointments to drop off firearms with the RCMP, local police or a mobile collection unit.