Canada Firearms Centre
Encyclopedia
Canadian Firearms Program (CFP) (PCAF), formerly Canada Firearms Centre is a Canadian government program within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Policing Support Services, responsible for licensing and regulating firearms in Canada
.
As of September 2011, the Canadian Firearms Program recorded a total of 1,886,057 valid firearms licences, which is roughly 5.5% of the Canadian population (based on CIA World Factbook
July 2011 estimate). The four most licensed provinces are, in order, Ontario
, Quebec
, British Columbia
and Alberta
.
On May 17, 2006, responsibility for the Canadian Firearms Program was transferred from the Ministry of Public Safety to the RCMP.
On September 4, 2008, the Canada Firearms Centre and the Firearms Support Services Directorate of RCMP was merged to create the Canadian Firearms Program.
CFP celebrated the 10th anniversary of the opening of Central Processing Site in Miramichi, New Brunswick
in 2008.
, the federal government has the power to regulate firearm ownership under the criminal law
power(See Supreme Court of Canada
Reference Case on Firearms Act
). Despite this, each province is free to opt in to operate the program and its regulations – Ontario
, Quebec
, Prince Edward Island
, New Brunswick
and Nova Scotia
have chosen to opt in and British Columbia
is contemplating the idea. However, the CFP continues to be the central data-processing site and is responsible for the physical issuance of Possession and Acquisition Licence
in all case. Those who chose to opt in would have all the administrative fees reimbursed by the federal government per section 95 of the Firearms Act.
. The chain of command
is as follows:
The Commissioner of the RCMP serves as the Commissioner of Firearms, the chief executive of the program. The Commissioner is assisted by a Deputy Commissioner (Policing Support Services). They are responsible to the Minister of Public Safety Canada and thus accountable to the Parliament of Canada
.
An RCMP officer is appointed as the Director General to oversee the day-to-day administration of the CFP.
A Registrar of Firearms is appointed to issue and revoke firearms registration certificates and carriers’ licences and maintain the records on Canadian Firearms Registry. The Registrar is also responsible for administering the Public Agents Firearms Regulations.
There are four (4) major areas within the CFP, which are managed by the Deputy Commissioner, Policing Support Services:
The CFP offers a wide variety of investigational support services to police:
(CFO), appointed either by the Government of Canada
or by the Executive Council
of the province they served in. The three territories shares a CFO with another province (British Columbia
- Yukon
, Alberta
- Northwest Territories
& Manitoba
- Nunavut
). They are responsible for making decisions (grant, deny, revoke or put conditions) on licensing (ie. Possession and Acquisition Licence
), Authorization to Transport
, Authorization to Carry
and transfer of firearms along with all of its administrative work.
Each province also appoint firearms officers (generally speaking, police officers or RCMP Civilian members) to inspect and ensure compliance within the definition of the Firearms Act. They may apply to court for a preventative prohibition order if it is in the public's interest
that a person should not be in possession of any weapons regulated under the Firearms Act. In carrying out their duties, they can demand firearms be presented to them and samples to be taken. Failure to comply is a summary offence which may lead to complications when one is up to renew his or her firearms licence for previous contravention of the Firearms Act.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
Policing Support Services, responsible for licensing and regulating firearms in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
As of September 2011, the Canadian Firearms Program recorded a total of 1,886,057 valid firearms licences, which is roughly 5.5% of the Canadian population (based on CIA World Factbook
The World Factbook
The World Factbook is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official paper copy version is available from the National Technical Information Service and the Government Printing Office...
July 2011 estimate). The four most licensed provinces are, in order, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
.
History
Bill C-68: An Act Respecting Firearms and Other Weapons was assented in 1995, two years after the bill was introduced by the government to the House of Commons in targeting firearms licensing and registration. CFC was officially created and began operation in 1996 to oversee the administration of the Firearms Act and the Canadian Firearms Program.On May 17, 2006, responsibility for the Canadian Firearms Program was transferred from the Ministry of Public Safety to the RCMP.
On September 4, 2008, the Canada Firearms Centre and the Firearms Support Services Directorate of RCMP was merged to create the Canadian Firearms Program.
CFP celebrated the 10th anniversary of the opening of Central Processing Site in Miramichi, New Brunswick
Miramichi, New Brunswick
Miramichi is the largest city in northern New Brunswick, Canada. It is situated at the mouth of the Miramichi River where it enters Miramichi Bay...
in 2008.
Organization
Under the Constitution of CanadaConstitution of Canada
The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions and conventions. It outlines Canada's system of government, as well as the civil rights of all Canadian citizens and those in Canada...
, the federal government has the power to regulate firearm ownership under the criminal law
Criminal law
Criminal law, is the body of law that relates to crime. It might be defined as the body of rules that defines conduct that is not allowed because it is held to threaten, harm or endanger the safety and welfare of people, and that sets out the punishment to be imposed on people who do not obey...
power(See Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
Reference Case on Firearms Act
Reference re Firearms Act
Reference re Firearms Act, [2000] 1 S.C.R. 783, 2000 SCC 31, is a leading constitutional decision of the Supreme Court of Canada on the division of powers regarding firearms legislation and the Canadian Firearms Registry...
). Despite this, each province is free to opt in to operate the program and its regulations – Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
and Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
have chosen to opt in and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
is contemplating the idea. However, the CFP continues to be the central data-processing site and is responsible for the physical issuance of Possession and Acquisition Licence
Possession and Acquisition Licence
A Possession and Acquisition Licence is a licence that allows individuals in Canada to possess and acquire firearms as well as ammunition. Licences are typically valid for five years and must be renewed prior to expiry to maintain all classes. Once licensed, an individual can apply for a firearm...
in all case. Those who chose to opt in would have all the administrative fees reimbursed by the federal government per section 95 of the Firearms Act.
Federal
CFP is a program within the Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
. The chain of command
Chain of Command
Chain of Command may refer to:* Chain of command, in a military context, the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed* "Chain of Command" , the fifth episode of the first season of Beast Wars...
is as follows:
The Commissioner of the RCMP serves as the Commissioner of Firearms, the chief executive of the program. The Commissioner is assisted by a Deputy Commissioner (Policing Support Services). They are responsible to the Minister of Public Safety Canada and thus accountable to the Parliament of Canada
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
.
An RCMP officer is appointed as the Director General to oversee the day-to-day administration of the CFP.
A Registrar of Firearms is appointed to issue and revoke firearms registration certificates and carriers’ licences and maintain the records on Canadian Firearms Registry. The Registrar is also responsible for administering the Public Agents Firearms Regulations.
There are four (4) major areas within the CFP, which are managed by the Deputy Commissioner, Policing Support Services:
- Firearms Administration Centre (for licensing, registration, customer service and operations);
- Firearms Investigative & Enforcement Services Directorate (who assist police in countering illegal movement and criminal use of firearms);
- Strategic Integration & Program Management Services (program support policy, research and planning, business management);
- Partnership & Outreach (communications, client/partner and stakeholder relationship)
The CFP offers a wide variety of investigational support services to police:
- Firearms Reference Table (FRT), is a comprehensive firearms database with over 130 000 entries which establishes a systematic, standard method of identifying, describing and classifying firearms.
- Firearms Identification, for questionable firearms
- Firearms Analysis, for potential evidence in crimes
- Tracing of illicit firearms, the CNFTC (Canadian National Firearm Tracing Centre) assists police in tracing illegal firearms
- Investigational support & assistance, helps police in preparing, obtaining and executing search warrants, location search and seizure, exhibit identification and organisation and court preparation
- Expert firearms advice & witness, provides firearm-related guidance for testimony and court preparation, and act as liaison with partner agencies that can provide these services
- Firearm Case Law Database, firearm-related cases can be researched, and are distributed to investigators
- Crown AttorneyCrown attorneyCrown Attorneys or Crown Counsel are the prosecutors in the legal system of Canada.Crown Attorneys represent the Crown and act as prosecutor in proceedings under the Criminal Code of Canada...
Program, working with crown attorney offices, a network that specializes in firearms investigations - Firearms Operations and Enforcement Support (FOES), intelligence support to firearm investigators and research that identifies trends and patterns in the criminal use of firearms in Canada.
- Pricing of illicit firearms, a record of firearm "street prices" is maintained and the information is made available to investigators
- Access to specialized firearms information databases, Canadian Firearm Information System (CFIS), Canadian Integrated Ballistic Identification Network (CIBIN) and the Suspect Gun Database
- Training, lectures, conferences, outreach and learning material available across Canada are available on a broad range of topics involving firearms
- Firearms registration information, querying records contained within the Canadian Firearms Registry Online (CFRO)
- Public Agent Firearms Reporting assistance, helping Public Agents use the Public Agency Web Services (PWS) to report agency and protected firearms and assisting Public Agents understand their obligations under the (Public Agents Firearms Regulations)
Provincial
Each province has its own Chief Firearms OfficerChief Firearms Officer
The Chief Firearms Officer or CFO is a Canadian official responsible for Possession and Acquisition Licences, authorizations to transport, authorizations to carry, transfers of firearms, and gun show sponsorship approvals. Each province has a CFO....
(CFO), appointed either by the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
or by the Executive Council
Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)
An Executive Council in Commonwealth constitutional practice based on the Westminster system is a constitutional organ which exercises executive power and advises the governor or governor-general. Executive Councils often make decisions via Orders in Council.Executive Councillors are informally...
of the province they served in. The three territories shares a CFO with another province (British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
- Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
- Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
& Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
- Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
). They are responsible for making decisions (grant, deny, revoke or put conditions) on licensing (ie. Possession and Acquisition Licence
Possession and Acquisition Licence
A Possession and Acquisition Licence is a licence that allows individuals in Canada to possess and acquire firearms as well as ammunition. Licences are typically valid for five years and must be renewed prior to expiry to maintain all classes. Once licensed, an individual can apply for a firearm...
), Authorization to Transport
Authorization to Transport
An Authorization to Transport is a permit issued by the Canadian Firearms Program allowing holders of Restricted and Prohibited class firearms to transport them in Canada...
, Authorization to Carry
Authorization to Carry
An Authorization to Carry is a permit issued by the government of Canada allowing holders of Restricted and Prohibited class firearms to carry them in Canada...
and transfer of firearms along with all of its administrative work.
Each province also appoint firearms officers (generally speaking, police officers or RCMP Civilian members) to inspect and ensure compliance within the definition of the Firearms Act. They may apply to court for a preventative prohibition order if it is in the public's interest
Public interest
The public interest refers to the "common well-being" or "general welfare." The public interest is central to policy debates, politics, democracy and the nature of government itself...
that a person should not be in possession of any weapons regulated under the Firearms Act. In carrying out their duties, they can demand firearms be presented to them and samples to be taken. Failure to comply is a summary offence which may lead to complications when one is up to renew his or her firearms licence for previous contravention of the Firearms Act.
See also
- Canadian Firearms Registry
- Dominion of Canada Rifle AssociationDominion of Canada Rifle AssociationThe Dominion of Canada Rifle Association ' was founded in 1868 and incorporated by an Act of Parliament 63-64 Victoria Chapter 99, assented to July 7, 1890, to promote and encourage the training of marksmanship throughout Canada.-Mission:...
- Gun politics in CanadaGun politics in CanadaGun politics in Canada is largely polarized between two groups with opposing views. One group includes those who object to the registration of personal firearms...
- Possession and Acquisition LicencePossession and Acquisition LicenceA Possession and Acquisition Licence is a licence that allows individuals in Canada to possess and acquire firearms as well as ammunition. Licences are typically valid for five years and must be renewed prior to expiry to maintain all classes. Once licensed, an individual can apply for a firearm...
- Authorization to TransportAuthorization to TransportAn Authorization to Transport is a permit issued by the Canadian Firearms Program allowing holders of Restricted and Prohibited class firearms to transport them in Canada...
- Authorization to CarryAuthorization to CarryAn Authorization to Carry is a permit issued by the government of Canada allowing holders of Restricted and Prohibited class firearms to carry them in Canada...
External links
- Canadian Firearms Program Official website
- Law-abiding Unregistered Firearms Association advocacy group against the Firearms Act / Canada Firearms Centre
- JJHicks.com Security Advisory: Predictability and Vulnerability in the Canadian Firearms Centre's On-Line Services Web Site