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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday September 7, 2007 - 3 Guns stolen from Oakville storage unit By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Halton police are on the alert after a large cache of firearms was stolen from a self-storage facility at Sherwood Heights Drive. Police became aware of the theft Tuesday when the owner of the guns, a firearms collector from the Parry Sound area, reported that over the summer his storage facility at Mini Storage Place had been entered and the 10 firearms inside had been removed. Stolen from the unit are three semiautomatic handguns and seven semiautomatic hunting and military-style rifles. An estimated 2,000-3,000 rounds of .223-calibre ammunition, which were also taken are doing little to ease local concerns. "Handguns are a very valuable commodity for criminals, perhaps even more so than the rifles," said Detective Gerard Kelly, Oakville Criminal Investigations Bureau. "The only good thing is that there was no ammunition for the handguns." Although two of the rifles lacked key components to make them of any use, the other semi-automatic rifles, many of which are knock-offs of the American M16 and Russian AK-47 assault rifles, could pose a very serious threat in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing. "It certainly is a concern that some of DEREK WOOLLAM / OAKVILLE BEAVER SCENE OF THE CRIME: Police report 10 firearms were stolen from a locked storage facility at Mini Storage Place, located on Sherwood Heights Drive. the rifles, if someone had the expertise, could be changed from semi-automatic to automatic," said Kelly. "You'd have to have a bit of training as a gunsmith to do something like that." Since a key was used to enter the storage unit, police are interested in speaking to the gun owner's acquaintances, although at this time none have been designated as suspects. "Other people were aware that he had the firearms and that he stored them down here, so it's a matter of trying to figure out which friends or associates had that knowledge," said Kelly. In the wake of the theft, police officials are also investigating whether the storage of the firearms constitutes a breach of the law. "The firearms were legal in that they were properly registered to the individual, but the detectives are reviewing the storage situation as part of their investigation," said Sgt. Peter Payne, Halton Police media officer. "It's too soon for me to comment on what their findings are." While the legality of the storage of the firearms may remain in question, what is not is the fact that the firearms were not supposed to be in the unit. "The customer acknowledges that he will not be storing any explosives, propane tanks, gas, oil, toxic chemicals, guns, drugs, ammunition or any items prohibited by law," said John Costa, manager of Mini Storage Place, quoting from a rental agreement the gun enthusiast would have signed. "Not only do the customers sign them, but we go over every paragraph with them." This incident of firearms theft has caused police to issue a reminder to gun owners to keep their firearms' licences up-to-date and to make sure they're taking all proper precautions when storing them. "Firearms must be stored unloaded and then you have a number of options, either a secure locking device like a trigger lock, or a cable lock, having them in a locked container or a locked vault," said Sherri Sadauskas, Provincial Firearms Officer. "Ammunition should be stored separately. If you do have ammunition in the home and you want to store it in the same vicinity as the firearm, it should be in its own locked container." Reducing the number of unwanted firearms that are present in the community could also go a long way preventing similar thefts. "Family members may have had firearms registered to them and they have since passed away. Now the firearm becomes part of the estate," said Sadauskas. "You can always call the police department firearms unit for assistance in transferring the firearm to a licensed family member or handing in a firearm for destruction." Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the weapons and ammunition or those responsible for the theft should contact the Oakville Criminal Investigations, Break and Enter Bureau at 905-8254777 or 905-634-1831, ext. 2219 or Crime Stoppers at 1800-222-TIPS (8477). 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