Canada's Firearm registration doesn't stop inmates from having guns !
MAX GUARDS FAIL TO FIND HOMEMADE FIREARMS
PUBLICATION: The Edmonton Sun
DATE: 2004.03.15
EDITION: Final
SECTION: News
PAGE: 5
BYLINE: DOUG BEAZLEY, EDMONTON SUN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ZIP GUN HIDE 'N' SEEK
MAX GUARDS FAIL TO FIND HOMEMADE FIREARMS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guards at the Edmonton Institution are spooked over their failure to find one or more homemade "zip guns" they believe inmates have cached somewhere in the prison, says a guards' representative.
"It's disturbing because we're pretty sure there's still a gun around there somewhere," said Kevin Grabowsky, regional president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers and a 25-year veteran of the guards' staff at the Max.
"It could be hiding in plain sight. Break a zip gun down and you've got components that don't look suspicious at all on their own. A pen, some metal, some rubber bands.
"The components could be sitting out in the open in a couple of different cells, waiting to be put together."
Or waiting for the right ammo - Max staff launched a floor-to-ceiling weapons search throughout the facility last month after two failed attempts to smuggle contraband including cellphones, drugs, breakout tools and .22-calibre bullets into the prison.
Late last month, prison officials uncovered a metal zip gun in the prison's machine shop. But the gun was built to fire ball bearings using an internal propellant - not .22s.
"The intelligence we've been getting is that prisoners made, and test fired, three zip guns out of Coke cans," said Grabowsky. "Those guns pretty much fall apart after being used once.
"We haven't found whatever the .22s were going to be used for. We've been getting some intelligence about weapons (from prisoners) - but nothing about the bullets."
And that's the other thing troubling guards - usually, extended lockdowns like the one that followed the Feb. 7 riot lead to inmates tipping off guards about hidden weapons, in an effort to restore suspended privileges.
"That's not happening, which is unusual. The inmates are uncharacteristically quiet," said Grabowsky.
"The silence suggests to us that the prison population is more organized than in the past, more disciplined.
"We've been getting the usual threats from inmates over the past couple of weeks - of hostage takings, assaults.
"This institution is ticking away. Something's in the works, but we can't get the intelligence on what it's going to be."
Meanwhile, several Max guards who have been wearing self-purchased stab-proof vests on the job have been told again they'll be docked pay if they wear the vests to work.
"They've been told they'll be sent home without pay," said Grabowsky.
Corrections Canada officials have said guards are banned from wearing stab-proof vests because they're not on Ottawa's list of "permitted equipment."
MAX GUARDS FAIL TO FIND HOMEMADE FIREARMS
PUBLICATION: The Edmonton Sun
DATE: 2004.03.15
EDITION: Final
SECTION: News
PAGE: 5
BYLINE: DOUG BEAZLEY, EDMONTON SUN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ZIP GUN HIDE 'N' SEEK
MAX GUARDS FAIL TO FIND HOMEMADE FIREARMS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guards at the Edmonton Institution are spooked over their failure to find one or more homemade "zip guns" they believe inmates have cached somewhere in the prison, says a guards' representative.
"It's disturbing because we're pretty sure there's still a gun around there somewhere," said Kevin Grabowsky, regional president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers and a 25-year veteran of the guards' staff at the Max.
"It could be hiding in plain sight. Break a zip gun down and you've got components that don't look suspicious at all on their own. A pen, some metal, some rubber bands.
"The components could be sitting out in the open in a couple of different cells, waiting to be put together."
Or waiting for the right ammo - Max staff launched a floor-to-ceiling weapons search throughout the facility last month after two failed attempts to smuggle contraband including cellphones, drugs, breakout tools and .22-calibre bullets into the prison.
Late last month, prison officials uncovered a metal zip gun in the prison's machine shop. But the gun was built to fire ball bearings using an internal propellant - not .22s.
"The intelligence we've been getting is that prisoners made, and test fired, three zip guns out of Coke cans," said Grabowsky. "Those guns pretty much fall apart after being used once.
"We haven't found whatever the .22s were going to be used for. We've been getting some intelligence about weapons (from prisoners) - but nothing about the bullets."
And that's the other thing troubling guards - usually, extended lockdowns like the one that followed the Feb. 7 riot lead to inmates tipping off guards about hidden weapons, in an effort to restore suspended privileges.
"That's not happening, which is unusual. The inmates are uncharacteristically quiet," said Grabowsky.
"The silence suggests to us that the prison population is more organized than in the past, more disciplined.
"We've been getting the usual threats from inmates over the past couple of weeks - of hostage takings, assaults.
"This institution is ticking away. Something's in the works, but we can't get the intelligence on what it's going to be."
Meanwhile, several Max guards who have been wearing self-purchased stab-proof vests on the job have been told again they'll be docked pay if they wear the vests to work.
"They've been told they'll be sent home without pay," said Grabowsky.
Corrections Canada officials have said guards are banned from wearing stab-proof vests because they're not on Ottawa's list of "permitted equipment."
It reminds me of the time last year when they "found out" that the leader of the Hells Angels in Quebec ("Mom" Boucher; someone with multiple convictions on his record) had 4 or 5 handguns registered to him.