Police chief asks MPs to reconsider vote on registry

arjay says:

last time i checked, our MP's were elected by their constituents, to represent local wishes on such things as the Gun registry. while the Police Chief may be a constituent, with an opinion, He certainly does NOT represent the majority feeling on this issue, in this area! our MP's must do as their constituents dictate, or a Police state is not far away!! too bad we have such a crime problem in our city. could be because our Chief is too busy playing politics!!!

9/8/2010 7:56:38 PM

Jollywally says:

Correction---- In all do respect to Chief Herman the long barrel registry does NOT make for a safer community nor does it prevent crime nor has it saved one life. If Chief Herman has a record of any of the above in fact occurring because of the long barrel gun registry this citizen would appreciated hearing of such evidence. Criminals do not register their weapons. In fact if the truth be told most of the connvience store robberies in this community, the weapon of choice by the robber has been the KNIFE. Nor is the registry reliable. What will make our streets safer is that when Chief Herman's officers arrest and charge someone for a serious crime that our judicial system deals with those convicted severely and are take off the streets for lengthy periods of time. The editor of another online news media outlet had a very interesting suggestion that instead of law abiding citizens having to register their hunting rifles or those used to get rid of that pesky gopher on the farm, that we register the convicted criminal of serious crimes instead. I second that suggestion.

9/8/2010 8:21:22 PM

pieislandrefugee says:

Wow, no suprise there. All of us local Thunder Bay citizens are quite aware of how this chief told us that there was no "real" crime problem in the city.

Sorry Bob, but we knew you were full of it then, and we're quite aware youre full of it now.

The registry has not saved one life, prevented one suicide, or any other non-sensical thing that you keep spouting off about.

There simply is no way to show how registering a gun prevents a crime. Thats because it simply does not. Registering a car does not prevent the operator from speeding. Registering the gun does nothing to prevent the person using it improperly.

Does the registration tie the firearm to an owner? Yes, but what good does that do? Do we fine the owner of the speeding car or do we fine the operator of the speeding car?

The real criminals will speed away, just like the real criminals wont register their gun. Make sense Bob?

Simply put, this is just more police fear mongering. Theyre hoping to have every possible tool to use against the public. Theyd be all for legislation that mandates the inside of our homes have video cameras everywhere in them so the police could monitor our actions. Of course, theyd stomp their feet and cry how it would "keep them safe". How it would do wonders to help with community "safety"

Now, anyone who has a PAL is quite aware of whats involved in the application process. Just like a drivers license, the PAL makes sure you are a capable operator. They check your medical history, look for signs of depression, look into your past for any criminal or violent behaviour, or any reason they deem applicapable to deny you the legal right to own a gun... and then, they want your spouse and friends to sign your application as well...all while carefully displaying panic-esque phone numbers to call in case you are being pressured into signing the application.

The PAL heads off all the possible problems before they can ever aquire, or possess a firearm, long before the registry even comes into play ...and by the way that includes pellet guns with a muzzle velocity of about 425FPS (if I remember correctly) .

So, again, just as the vehicle registration does nothing to prevent improper usage, the long gun registry does nothing as well.

If youre on the fence on this issue, go take a firearms course. Then, apply for your PAL.. enjoy all the invasive questions, and the 4+ month wait. and see for yourself, just how registering the gun is pointless. Absolutely pointless, unless your desire is to waste tax dollars?

Redundancy run amok is what it is.

Just how does the registry ensure community safety there chief? Tell us how, but tell us how the PAL already does all that and more. Dont keep repeating the same thing over and over again. Tell us how.

Then after youre done with that Bobby, tell us why the police are attempting to make law as opposed to just enforcing it... (which is what youre sworn to do).

Perhaps, the real police state that the liberals cry about is already here? Could this stance by police chiefs just be the evidence we've been waiting for? The proverbial "smoking gun"????

Perhaps Bobby, you can also tell us how the registry ACTUALLY keeps your officers safer as well? Do your officers treat people differently because they have a PAL? and if so (thats a bad habit chiefy!) how does approaching a suspect with a registered firearm differ from approaching someone without a registered one? Does the registration change how you react? and if so, why?

I believe as a prudent and effective police officer, you should be treating everyone the same instead of "profiling" them. And since youve admitted doing that (judging by your claims on this matter) Its fair to conclude youre not the police chief this, or any city deserves for its hard earned tax dollars.

Now, I reccomend you get back to policing and doing your job instead of soliciting politicians for increased control of the people and their possessions. Arent you already understaffed? and under budgeted?

If you cant do that. I suggest you resign. Judging by your track record here in this city, and your disdain for the public, I dont think you will be missed.

9/8/2010 8:54:02 PM

feduptaxpayer#1 says:

But Bobby! BOBBY! I thought we didn't need to worry about crime! I thought Thunder Bay was perfectly safe!

9/8/2010 9:58:01 PM

porkchop_sandwiches says:

Why can't we vote for the Police Chief too?

9/9/2010 1:49:40 AM

hadenough says:

I believe that the reason that the police want the long gun registry is that it gives them probable cause to come into your house and search to see if you have your guns stored and, Oh look, we noticed something else while there.
Not too bad of a reason I suppose if the person is a "person of interest" but were does it stop.

9/9/2010 8:12:28 AM

Centrist says:

Considering the majority of the money was spent in its infancy (yes, a billion dollar boondoggle) the program now costs just a fraction of that, and furthermore, was deemed an efficiently run program just recently.

Registering a firearm does not stop illegally obtained guns from reaching the streets. I am well aware of that. However, the cost to register them is minuscule. The cost to run the program is minuscule in comparison to other questionable programs.

The logic of those people against the registry have a minuscule view on big world politics.

People employed in the field of law enforcement ARE constituents and voting members of our society. If they feel the need is warranted, who are we, to tell them otherwise. Is it our job that the registry effects? Are lumber workers, retail service workers, or the job of the doctor affected by it? No.

We have FAR worse things to worry about than a long rifle registration and those who base their vote on ‘who is for or against’ a registry are one dimensional.

9/9/2010 8:24:40 AM

baor says:

What is the big deal here? So you have to register your firearm, big deal. If you are law abiding like you claim then so what...what are you worried about?
There are far more important issues in this country than a gun registry which only costs 4 million a year to run ... peanuts in a $1.5 Trillion economy. I don't believe the 100 000 voters in northwestern Ontario are ALL watching this like the gun-nuts are. It is a nice distraction from unimportant issues like jobs and economics.

9/9/2010 9:12:23 AM

nads74 says:

What does it take for people to realize it was nothing but a giant waste of money!!!!

If we had a problem like the U.S then MAYBE it would have been a good idea!

9/9/2010 9:51:58 AM

Steven says:

The police chief wants every last dollar possible spent on law enforcement. It keeps crime at the forefront of peoples' minds, and makes his job easier next time another story comes out about how our cops are earning $100000+ per year.

Fact: Violent crime has been dropping in Canada for years
Fact: The gun registry has never prevented a single gun crime, and in fact may have caused crimes, as criminals used it to find gun owners' homes to steal their weapons.

We need to spend more money on early childhood ed. This is the ONLY WAY TO PREVENT CRIME. We need to stop all other stupid crime prevention initiatives, cut down the numbers on our police force, re-allocate those officers out from behind desks, and onto the street on weekends and evenings when crimes happen the most, and stop paying these people so god damn much.

Cops do an important job, but its no more dangerous than being a nurse or construction worker. Just look at our boys overseas, see what they make, and that will put everything in perspective about cops.

9/9/2010 9:59:14 AM

chbaker says:

He just wants to make sure the police are the only ones in the community who are armed. Because historically that has been in the peoples best interest.
*wishes for a sarcasm font*

9/9/2010 10:35:11 AM

baor says:

Steven:
Where should the Chief spend his budget other than on "law enforcment"?
When was the last time a nurse got shot in the head by a nut job using his own personal registered long gun? (Cst Vu Pham)
I personally could care less about whether or not this registry stays but I think that it is a far bigger issue than it truly needs to be.
Keep on blaming the unions (and now the police I guess) for all of your social ills there Steve.

9/9/2010 8:27:37 PM

hurricanejeck says:

pie and chb together on an issue!!!
OUTSTANDING!!!
And I'd like to join them!!!
However I won't bash Mr. Herman, he does that to himself enough.
As for the Police use of the regestery, PLEASE be warned when used with CAS!!!!

9/9/2010 11:15:34 PM

pieislandrefugee says:

baor, the police chief should try to not spend his whole budget... that would be the very definition of public service, wouldnt it?

and , as for your example about a nurse getting shot... again, take this one step further, and tell us exactly how the outcome would have been different if the gun was registered or if it was not.

half marks only for point form.

the problems with the registry as its been politically manipulated is it lacks real results and factual information...because it lacks any basis in the dream of the liberals.

as yourself why is the liberal party whipping their vote? Is that the type of leadership you support? Is this the way you want to be represented?

Liberals need to learn all about the reverse gear in their political machine. That way when they make their too common mistakes, they can back up and right their wrongs.

so far, they havent found the clutch, nevermind the gear.

9/12/2010 10:55:23 PM

Steven says:

I believe law enforcement is important, but is secondary to poverty issues, the real cause of crime.

Why do we spend so much money on policing, which does nothing but get to a problem after it has already happened? Poverty reduction prevents crime, plain and simple.

I don't blame police for all social ills, but I do suggest they are overpaid in our city where the cost of living is so low (housing), and that money could be put to better use elsewhere.

As for your comment on Cst. Vu Pham, I don't get what you are trying to say? That the registry is good, or not? I would remind you a nurse was recently shot in southern ontario, with a registered gun, but a doctor. Also that a group of construction workers was killed in toronto due to poor safety conditions. I'm just showing you that the police are NO MORE LIKELY TO BE KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY THAN MANY OTHER JOBS.

And again, how can they justify what they are earning when our soldiers are earning so little, and are being killed on duty at a rate over 100 times that of police? Its a sickening waste of money the amount we spend on our police.

9/13/2010 2:29:36 PM