ALERT seized more guns last year than ever before

Arecordnumber of guns were seized in the provincelast yearby Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT).

The ALERT guns and gangs teamseized 249 guns betweenApril 1, 2016 andMarch 31, 2017,almost double the number of the previous year, according to an annual report released Monday.

"The more firearms that are out there of course the more potential there is for tragedy," said Insp. DaveDubnyk, officer in charge of ALERT regional teams and the Internet Child Exploitation Unit.

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One of the main reasons for the increase in guns in Alberta is the growing number of gangs,Dubnyksaid.

The reportidentified 245 criminal gangs and organized-crime networks in Alberta.

"It's certainly an increase from what we've seen over the past years,"Dubnyksaid.

"There's always the concern of the particular criminal network wanting to protect their territory or protect their turf," he said.

Alberta is seeing more gangs operating inter-provincially, such as the Red Scorpions and Independent Soldier, Dubnyk said.

"These were typically organized-crime networks we were seeing in other western Canadian provinces," he said. " [We're] starting to see more of those in Alberta. They reach into communities throughout the province, both big and small."

Now, more often than not, with those networks come firearms.

"Many years ago it was a rarity to find and seize a gun at a crime scene," Dubnyk said. "Now it's a rarity not to."

Funded by the Alberta government, ALERT tackles serious and organized crime. Members of the Calgary Police Service, Edmonton Police Service, Lethbridge Police Service, Medicine Hat Police Service and RCMP work inALERT.