The head of the RCMP is asking the Mounties鈥� watchdog to look into whether the force was justified in seizing guns that officers found while searching evacuated houses during the flooding crisis in High River, Alta.
In a letter released Friday, RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson said he has written to the head of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, Ian McPhail, requesting an investigation.
The Mounties have said they took the weapons as they searched homes in High River for flood victims, pets or anything that might pose a threat to returning residents.
They said the firearms seized were not properly stored, but in plain view after fleeing residents moved them to higher ground to try to ensure they would not be ruined.
The Mounties said they didn鈥檛 want the guns to fall into the wrong hands so they took them for safe keeping.
But many residents were angry when they learned of the seizures, and questioned whether the RCMP should have had the authority to enter vacant homes and take their possessions.
Paulson writes he was surprised by the backlash that ensued among the town鈥檚 13,000 residents.
鈥淚 am quite concerned by the sharp criticism that has arisen in the media with respect to the gun seizures from evacuated homes. Naturally this is quite troubling to me, and I am sure to you, as indeed it must be to many Canadians who wonder what was going on in High River,鈥� he writes.
He then requests a 鈥淐hair initiated complaint鈥� to investigate the Mounties鈥� actions, to determine if they were 鈥渨ell founded, reasonably executed and in accordance with our policies.鈥�
Last Sunday, the RCMP announced it would begin returning some of the guns it seized. It called on the owners to call police to make arrangements to pick the weapons up.
