Hamilton police are speaking out about an ‘alarming’ increase in “crime guns” after officers seized 13 weapons over the course of the weekend, including one that was attached to the underside of a discarded bedside table.
Hamilton police say that a citizen was driving in the area of Barton Street and 50 Road in Stoney Creek on Friday morning when they saw the bedside table discarded on the roadside.
The citizen stopped to retrieve it, but when they did, they found a loaded handgun attached to its underside, police say.
The citizen called police and officers attended the scene to investigate.
That investigation eventually led to the seizure of seven additional guns with ammunition and the arrest of a 59-year-old Hamilton man on firearm-related charges.
Hamilton police also seized five additional firearms in unrelated incidents over the weekend, bringing the total haul to 13.
“We should all be alarmed by these numbers. Thanks to the great work of our officers and the keen eyes of a few citizens, we got 13 guns within a 48-hour period,” Police Chief Frank Bergen said in a press release. “If not for the interaction of police and concerned citizens, these guns would still be circulating on Hamilton’s streets. These incidents are a reminder that if you see something, then say something. By working together, we can make our streets safer for everyone.”
Hamilton police say that officers have seized 48 crime guns so far this year, which represents a 77 per cent increase from the same time period in 2022.
Some of the other firearm incidents in Hamilton this past weekend included:
- The seizure of a loaded handgun found in a bar near Main Street West and Queen Street South.
- The seizure of two loaded long guns from a vehicle. Police had attended the scene because the vehicle was stopped in a live lane of traffic with a male slumped over the wheel.
- The seizure of two guns following a firearm-related incident involving youth between 16 and 22 years old.
