Robert Gordon Heltman is currently the subject of a nationwide manhunt after he breached the conditions of his latest statutory release, and for violating his lifetime Firearm Prohibition Order.

On August 19, 2020, North Okanagan RCMP suspected Heltman was in Vernon, British Columbia, and evacuated nearby residents of a home on Brooks Lane.

“Given the high-risk situation involving a federal offender and the possibility of a firearm, police officers contained the area and activated the South East District Emergency Response Team to assist with clearing the residence.”

“The Southeast District Emergency Response Team are highly trained police officers able to deal with these types of situations. The safety of everyone involved is of the utmost concern for police,” said Cpl. Tania Finn, the local RCMP Media Relations Officer.

When ERT members entered the home, Heltman was nowhere to be found but they did locate and seize a loaded handgun.

The search for this repeat offender is ongoing and, as of August 25th, RCMP say he is still on the loose.

“There is no new information regarding Robert Heltman,” said Cpl. Tania Finn on August 25th. “There is still a warrant for his arrest and police would like to locate him in order to execute the warrant. Unfortunately, we do not know his whereabouts and do not know if he even remains in the area.”

On August 31st, Cpl. Tania Finn said the rumours that Heltman turned himself in are false.

The manhunt continues…

If you come across Robert Gordon Heltman, please contact the police immediately. Do not attempt to approach him as he is considered dangerous and is most likely armed.

 

Long Criminal History

Robert Gordon Heltman’s violent criminal history dates back to 2009, with repeated violations of his parole conditions whenever he is release from jail.

In 2009, he was charged with assault, possession of a weapon and theft under $5,000.

In 2010, Crime Stoppers asked for help locating Robert Heltman after a provincial warrant was issued for his arrest on charges of breach of undertaking, assault and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public.

In 2015, Crime Stoppers again asked for help locating him after he broke his probation conditions, cautioning that “Heltman should be considered violent.”

In January 2018 Robert Gordon Heltman was sentenced to:

• 730 days in prison for his conviction on three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking
• 517 days for possession of a Restricted or Prohibited firearm
• 365 days for a separate count of possession for the purpose of trafficking
• 30 days for breaching probation

Heltman was also given a lifetime Firearms Prohibition Order – one he seems far too willing to violate since he was released from jail.

 

Canada’s Firearm Prohibition Order System is Broken

Individuals convicted of violent offences who are prohibited from possessing firearms are a proven danger to public safety, yet:

• No police agency in Canada tracks individuals with Firearm Prohibition Orders registered against them.
• There is no legal requirement for police to track individuals with Firearm Prohibition Orders registered against them to ensure compliance.
• There is no legal ability to routinely track or check on individuals with Firearm Prohibition Orders registered against them to ensure compliance.
• There is no legal obligation for individuals with Firearm Prohibition Orders to notify police (or any government agency) when they move to a new residence. Police have no idea where these people are.

Common sense also dictates we shouldn’t waste our scarce police resources on federally-licenced, RCMP-vetted gun owners who are, statistically, less of a threat to public safety than the general public and serving police officers, yet these are the people upon whom Canada’s legislators focus all their energy in their quest for public safety.

 

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Not only is Canada’s Firearm Prohibition Order system broken, it was designed to fail from the very start.

Designed to Fail is a 45-page Special Report which explains, in detail, everything that’s wrong with Canada’s Firearm Prohibition Order system, then outlines a clear plan to fix it.

The only question is… Will the federal government take the action required to keep Canadians safe?

Or will they continue to pay lip service to Public Safety while doing nothing to stop violent, repeat offenders from illegally obtaining guns?

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