Putting your firearms up for sale could make you a target for theft if you're not careful.
With that in mind, the Prince George RCMP is offering some suggestions to help ensure a trouble-free transaction - starting with treading cautiously if you opt to take the online route as it's a source thieves monitor in the quest for their next big hit.
“What we want firearms owners to remember is that the more people use these electronic services, the more information we inadvertently give away. The more people who know you have firearms, the higher the chance you will be at risk for having them stolen,” Cst. Jennifer Cooper says.
Here are some further tips and suggestions:
- Avoid providing your physical address to the buyer, if possible. Using a licensed firearms
retailer who can sell your firearm by consignment is one way to limit your risk.
- Try not to let the buyer know when you will be out of the house. For example, “I will be home
after work by 4” lets the buyer know your house is potentially empty until 4 p.m.
- Check the buyer’s PAL information with the Canadian Firearms Program by calling 1-800-731-
4000 to make sure it is valid.
There are also local businesses who are willing to assist firearms owners with the sales of their guns, providing services such as consignment or online brokerage. While both of these options require the seller to pay a fee, it does provide you a safe way to keep the sale of your firearm away from your residence.
Some other things for firearms owners to consider are:
- Decals and stickers on your vehicle advertise that you own or like guns.
- Be aware of your surroundings when arriving or leaving a range or tactical store.
- It is unlawful to store firearms in a vehicle. When a firearm is in a vehicle, boat or aircraft, it is being transported and must be done so in accordance with the Firearms Act and Regulations.
Upon arriving at your destination (such as a stop at a hotel on your way to a hunting camp) or returning to your residence, firearms must be brought inside and properly secured.
Leaving firearms and ammunition unattended in a vehicle invites thieves to break into it, and creates a source of illicit firearms and ammunition to be diverted directly to criminals.
