Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 1/4/2012 (3102 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Editorial

The province has started enforcing new rules that restrict the sale and use of body armour and the ownership and use of fortified vehicles.

Some citizens might wonder why the state has made it illegal for them to protect themselves from harm, particularly at a time when guns and gangs have been proliferating on the streets of Winnipeg.

Doesn't everyone, after all, have a right to self-defence?

Of course everyone is entitled to use reasonable force to defend themselves against bodily harm, but bullet-proof vests and armoured cars go beyond the everyday measures ordinary citizens might use for their safety.

More important, they are the tools of serious gangs, the kind that carry guns and aren't afraid to use them.

Police have enough to worry about without being required to confront criminals who are partially immune from gunfire. Gangsters wear body armour to protect themselves and their drugs or whatever from anybody.

Winnipeg police have seized body armour from criminals in the past, although armoured cars have yet to make their debut in the city.

People with a demonstrated or legitimate need for protection will still be able to purchase a licence to acquire the defensive measures, while security officers and licensed guards will be exempt from the legislation.

The law is not an infringement of personal rights, but merely another measure to protect law enforcement and ensure the bad guys don't have an unwarranted advantage.