INFORMATION ACT RESPONSES EXPOSE RCMP INCONSISTENCIES IN HIGH RIVER
Canada’s National Firearms Association has received supporting evidence that indicates that, despite police claims, the RCMP were not searching for survivors when they were seizing guns in High River, Alberta during last summer’s flood. On February 11, 2014, the NFA received a 156-page response to one of six Access to Information Act requests filed with the Department of National Defense. See the chart on page 96 of the DND document provided in this link:
The National Defense chart entitled: Military Criteria for Transition 24 June 2013 indicates that there was no more searching for people needed. The left side of the chart has tasks to be completed and the top of the chart has columns with the names of communities. Under the High River column task number two states: “No further danger to civilians (life and limb) and evacuations not requested.” The symbol in that column indicates: “All conditions met.”
Also on February 11, 2014, the NFA received a 45-page response to one of our twelve Access to Information Act requests filed with the RCMP in relation to the High River break-ins and firearm seizures. See page 27 of the RCMP response provided in this link:
RCMP ATI Response – High River Radio Communications – February 5 2014
The e-mail on this page dated June 24, 2013 at 7:12 pm from RCMP Superintendent Frank Smart states: “As of 1500hrs today, RCMP led by STO have completed the physical search of all homes in High River(with the exception of a small amount in quadrant 8 which is underwater).” Houses\Buildings 3,337 – Forced Entries 674 – People located 303.
Dennis Young, Alberta Director and the NFA’s lead investigator on the High River file questions the facts in this RCMP document, “The e-mail states that as of June 24, there were 674 ‘forced entries’ but RCMP Staff/Sgt. Ian Shardlow confirmed at a public meeting in High River on September 5, 2013 that police had in fact kicked in the doors of more than 1,900 homes in High River. Also there is no mention of firearms being seized in this e-mail and yet on June 28, 2013 the RCMP reported that they had seized or secured 539 firearms during these break-ins. We can only conclude that most, if not all the firearms were seized after the threat to human life had ended on June 24.”
NFA President Sheldon Clare stated, “Despite the RCMP reporting that their searches of High River homes were ‘completed’ on June 24th at 3:00 pm and the National Defense document of 24 June declaring that there was ‘no further danger to civilians’, at exactly 7:00 pm on 24 June, the RCMP broke into Jane and Don White’s High River home with the express purpose of searching for and seizing Don’s firearms. There can be no other reason for that break-in and others that followed than the police were looking for people’s firearms. ” See the time line of this break-in and firearms seizure in RCMP Constable’s Jason Decoste’s handwritten notes in this link:
Chronology of a High River Gun Seizure
“It took exactly 51 minutes for the RCMP to go from the detachment building, directly to the White’s home, kick in their front door, search their home, seize eleven long-guns, throw them in a boat, and have the guns secured back at the detachment. This document alone proves the RCMP action was not a door-to-door search for survivors; clearly, this was a directly targeted search for firearms. Based on the evidence, the RCMP public statements to the Canadian people about the High River break-ins and gun seizures were simply not true. The public needs to know why, and a judicial inquiry is about the best way to find out.” concluded Clare. A link to our listing of claims made and dispelled by the evidence in our letter to the RCMP Public Complaints Commission may be found at this link:
NFA’s Fourth Letter To The RCMP Public Complaints Commissioner – September 26, 2013
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For more information contact:
Blair Hagen, Executive VP Communications, 604-753-8682 [email]Blair@nfa.ca[/email]
Sheldon Clare, President, 250-981-1841 [email]Sheldon@nfa.ca[/email]
Shawn Bevins, Executive VP, 819-313-2887 [email]Shawn@nfa.ca[/email](français)
Dennis R. Young, Alberta, NFA International Director, 587-360-1111 [email]Dennis@nfa.ca[/email]
Canada’s NFA toll-free number – 1-877-818-0393
NFA Website: www.nfa.ca
