NEW ACT RESTRICTS SALE AND POSSESSION OF BODY ARMOUR
VICTORIA – Gang members and organized criminals will no longer be able to hide behind body armour, Solicitor General Kash Heed announced today in introducing Canada’s first act that sets up a licensing and criminal record check regime for the sale and purchase of body armour.
The Body Armour Control Act is part of Premier Gordon Campbell’s seven-point plan to combat gang and gun violence announced in February of this year.
“Police see it all too often,” said Heed. “The gang member or organized criminal is out on our streets and in our neighbourhoods while hiding behind the added protection of bulletproof vests as innocent bystanders remain unprotected and vulnerable. By taking away criminals’ sense of security, we decrease the potential for violence in public settings.”
Highlights of the act include:
- Enhancing public safety by placing controls on the possession of body armour and by providing police with the authority to seize body armour from those who are not authorized to possess it.
- Licensing businesses and their employees who sell body armour, under the Security Services Act.
- Requiring body armour applicants to obtain permits that prove a reasonable need for the possession of body armour.
- Requiring applicants to undergo a criminal record check.
- Individuals found in contravention of this act can be fined up to $10,000 and incarcerated for up to six months.
- Businesses found in contravention of this act can be fined up to $100,000 and their officers incarcerated for up to six months.
Businesses and individuals will have six months to comply once the new legislation comes into force. Under the act, police have the ability to seize body armour that is illegally sold or possessed. Workers whose jobs require them to wear body armour will be exempt from having to carry a permit. They include police officers, sheriffs, corrections officers, conservation officers, armoured car guards, security guards, security consultants and private investigators.
The legislation is the first of its kind in Canada. Both the U.S. and Australia have criminal and regulatory measures to restrict body armour ownership.
“Police have seen an increase in gangs, guns, drugs, intimidation and violence on our streets, and we need to nip gang activity in the bud,” said Supt. Bill McKinnon, head of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police. “By restricting body armour, police now have another tool in the fight against gangs and gun violence.”
Last February Premier Campbell announced a comprehensive seven point plan to tackle gangs and guns in B.C., including more police officers, more prosecutors, more jails and tougher laws to outlaw body armour and armoured vehicles. Since the strategy was unveiled, 135 organized crime and gang members have been arrested and charged with approximately 350 serious offences.
Comment: Of all those arrested and charged, how many are actually doing TIME! The reason those bad guys use body armour is because they are shooting at each other with ILLEGAL weapons.
Do you think the same place they are buying their automatic weapons might just be able to supply a bullet proof vest?
Or maybe, just maybe, do you think those bad guys might break into someplace that has body armour and just STEAL some.
It could be me, but I kinda think the bad guys just don't really give a hoot about all the laws we keep making.
lol. passing laws that criminals are expected to follow.
ReplyDeleteall this will do is prevent law abiding civilians from buying body armor for gun clubs, competitive shooting, or so they wont get killed by a criminal on the street.
criminals get the guns and body armor, civilians get to call 911 if they are lucky.
I do understand this knee-jerk reaction to do something about crime but to create additional laws and legislation that only end up effecting and COSTING the law-abiding citizens.
ReplyDeleteSince felons will manage to acquire body armour anyway, (sure it may get seized at customs, but what about the Yukon and Alberta where it will still be legal to purchase..or shall we erect additional borders and 'security checkpoints') why not pass something that makes sense.
Convicted felons shall be prohibited from possessing body armour.
Any unlawful act committed whilst in possession of body armour should be immediately be additional (severe) penalties.
If you have time to go get body armour and then commit a crime seems obvious that it was premeditated.
Maybe after another ridiculous registration program that might cost two billion dollars they'll decide ten years down the line it did absolutely NOTHING to decrease crime and abolish this silliness.
Meanwhile law enforcement agencies that could have used that revenue to you know... protect those now unprotected citizens.. will get to investigate why more innocent bystanders were killed and the criminals are still wearing body armour and shooting illegal unregistered firearms.
Convicts should not be sold anytype of body armor. Especially if its organised crime they are involved in.
ReplyDelete