Westlock’s peace officer may soon have access to a shotgun to help deal with animal complaints in town.
Town council unanimously approved a new comprehensive peace officer shotgun policy at its Jan. 26 meeting. The policy will govern precisely how and when the peace officer could use a shotgun in his work.
“I certainly don’t have a problem with providing the proper tools to our staff, and I view a shotgun as very much a tool,” as long as there are proper regulations in place, mayor Ralph Leriger said.
Peace officer Randy Burgess explained to council there were several instances in 2014 where he could have used a shotgun for animal-control purposes, specifically for a few boar-related incidents and a skunk incident at the campground in Mountie Park.
“During 2014, there were a number of incidents where I was forced to call in other agencies to basically put off my work onto them to be able to destroy animals,” he said.
In one case, a campground user had put out a live-trap and caught a skunk, but then wanted the town to deal with it. Burgess said he had to call in the town’s fire chief, who has a personal permit to carry firearms, to help.
“I called him in on a Saturday, and we destroyed the skunk,” Burgess said. “I have to depend on them, and if they’re busy then I wait. If I wait, then sometimes that’s not the best.”
CAO Dean Krause explained the policy as presented would require several levels of oversight for use of the shotgun: Krause would personally authorize any employee using it, and the Director of Legislative and Corporate Services Carol Revega would be responsible for overseeing its care and storage.
“I have the responsibility under the policy to ensure that any peace officer or employee is personally selected to use the gun,” he said. “And the director has significant responsibility to ensure proper storage, proper maintenance and so forth.”
Krause noted the gun itself would be stored at the town office, rather than in the peace officer’s vehicle.
“It’s not like our peace officer would be armed on his day-to-day patrols; it’s only when he comes into a situation where it’s warranted, he would come back to the town office and pick up the shotgun,” Krause said.
Revega noted that although council has approved the policy, it must now go to the Solicitor General’s office for review, and may require further revisions.
The policy specifies the gun will be a Remington Model 870.
Authorized ammunition includes 12-gauge 00 buck shot, 12-gauge Range one-once slugs, 12-gauge bear bangers, 12-gauge bear flashers and 12-gauge flexible baton rounds.
The policy explicitly states the gun may be used to enforce the Animal Protection Act, the Dangerous Dogs Act and the Wildlife Act if that act is effective on the officer’s appointment, and the shotgun will never be used for the purposes of demonstration or subduing individuals when force is required.
Those using the gun will require initial training and annual recertification in the safe use of the firearm.
