Premier Alison Redford shot from the hip Tuesday at the Wildrose Party, accusing Opposition Leader Danielle Smith of “preying on people’s fear and frustrations” over the RCMP’s confiscation of firearms in High River during this summer’s massive flooding.

With the town evacuated in June, news that Mounties seized unsecured firearms from High River homes during door-to-door searches — to prevent the guns from being stolen or damaged — angered many displaced residents.

Smith, who represents the community as the Highwood MLA, will hold a town hall meeting Thursday on the “forced entry into homes and seizure of property” by the RCMP. She’s also has raised concerns about property damage caused by the police.

But Redford told reporters at an event at Rideau Park School on Tuesday that Smith “has to stop sensationalizing these issues.”

“We now have the leader of the Opposition saying that the RCMP destroyed property during what was the worst natural disaster in Alberta history? I don’t buy that,” the premier said.

“We have a federal police force that went above and beyond to secure property.”

The RCMP has said almost all of the 539 weapons taken during the flood have been returned to their owners.

At the time of the confiscation, Redford defended the RCMP and characterized the issue as a distraction.

However, Justice Minister Jonathan Denis wrote a letter to the RCMP’s provincial commander expressing concern. The seizure also drew negative comments from Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office.

Redford noted Tuesday the police action was already the subject of an investigation by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.

“It’s time for the Opposition ... to try and come up with some forward-thinking solutions, instead of preying on people’s fears and frustrations,” she said.

Smith declined an interview request, although on Twitter she invited Redford to attend the town hall and said “1,800 residents had their doors broken down.”

Smith’s spokesman, Vitor Marciano, said there are still concerns about the firearms seizure and issues — including compensation — around the “multiple times of forced entry into homes and damage done to homes when they were entered.”

“Part of the reason we are doing the town hall is to hear from people and to hear their individual cases,” Marciano said.

Staff Sgt. Ian Shardlow, head of the High River RCMP detachment, said there were about 1,900 reports of damage caused by entry during the flood.

Some may not involve the RCMP and the damage isn’t necessarily from “door kicks” but could be something else, such as contaminated mud tracked into a home, he said. The Mounties want homeowners to bring these situations to their attention, said Shardlow.

While he can’t promise the RCMP will compensate homeowners, “there is every potential that there could be some level of government that is responsible for the damage done.”

“That may well be us, it may well be the town, it could be the province. I don’t believe ... a decision or a responsible party has been identified,” he said.

Shardlow, who hasn’t been invited to the town hall, said he doesn’t know if Smith’s event will be helpful.

“I hope the (complaints commission) decision will provide us with insight,” he added. “We’re either on the side of angels and this was lawful and everything’s fine. Or it’s not and we need to adjust policies, procedures and decisions that were made.”

Redford’s government is still working through its own response to the flood, which it estimates caused more than $5 billion in damage.

The premier said there are 8,200 files now active under the province’s disaster relief program, which covers uninsured losses. In 1,800 cases, cheques have been written.

But Redford said the province is still going through a difficult post-recovery period.

“I’m not going to stand here today and say everything is exactly as it should be and that we’re all back to normal. We’re not back to normal,” she said. “This is not normal.”

jwood@calgaryherald.com