Cape Breton cops spent $23Gs to cover anti gun-buyback rally

Police on Cape Breton spent $23,000 on deployment and security costs for a protest rallying against the federal government’s gun buyback program.

Documents unearthed by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) show Cape Breton’s police headquarters was shuttered and dozens of officers and brass were deployed to maintain security at the early-October rally, which saw around 250 people demonstrate against what legal gun owners call a massive overreach of government power.

“If a calm, peaceful gathering in Cape Breton triggers more than $23,000 in police costs, then taxpayers need to start paying attention,” Devin Drover, CTF’s general counsel and Atlantic Canada director, told the Toronto Sun.

“If this is what the price tag looks like at the very beginning, the national rollout is going to be a wild ride and none of it will make Canadians any safer.”

The rally, which took place Oct. 2 at the Cape Breton police headquarters, saw firearms proponents and supporters fly in from across Canada to attend. 

What did the police money cover?

According to an access-to-information request filed by the CTF, Cape Breton police — which employs around 200 sworn officers — deployed 26 officers to patrol the rally, amounting to $22,548.25 in salary costs.

That deployment consisted of a staff sergeant and inspector, as well as members of Cape Breton’s emergency response team (ERT) tactical unit, the public safety unit, internet crimes, community safety enforcement and street crime units, as well as regular patrol officers and mental health liaisons.

Cape Breton Regional Police also hired guards from a local security company for 12-hour patrols.

The Toronto Sun has reached out to Cape Breton police for comment.

Why Nova Scotia is involved

Nova Scotia became a focal point of former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s efforts to disarm Canadians after the April 2020 mass shooting in the province that killed 22 people, with his government ratifying an order-in-council one month later that summarily banned more than 1,500 models of so-called “assault rifles.”

Cape Breton police have become a visible part of the government’s firearms confiscation efforts, with the police service agreeing to become a test bed for the program — one of a few Canadian law enforcement agencies agreeing to participate.

The Ontario Provincial Police are among agencies saying they would not participate in the program — nor will the Ontario provincial government.

“Our position as a government is that it’s the illegal guns that are the problem,” Brampton North MPP Graham McGregor said at a press conference one day before the Cape Breton protest.

That sentiment was echoed at the same event by Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah, who said they’re still in talks with the federal government.

“In order to facilitate a citizen’s right to get compensated, there’s a request for the police of jurisdiction to be involved,” he told reporters.

“The reality is, we don’t have the resources to achieve that.”

Another example of waste

Gage Haubrich, CTF Prairie director, said the police response to the rally is just another example of how wasteful the buyback program is.

“The gun ban and confiscation program is a huge waste of taxpayer money and it won’t make Canadians safer,” he said.

“The government needs to scrap the scheme before another dollar is wasted. Law-abiding firearm owners aren’t the problem and taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay for something that won’t reduce crime.”

bpassifiume@postmedia.com
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