Re: "Man arrested after 159 guns stolen from outdoor store," Feb. 7.

Sgt. Dean Jantzen of the Saanich police is reported as believing the gun registry is "critical to advancing the speed of this investigation." Note he didn't say it helped catch the thief. I doubt many thieves register the guns they steal.

Canadian taxpayers waste more than $120 million each year on licensing gun owners and registering their firearms.

All of this just to keep track of folks who have passed criminal record checks.

None of this goes toward catching or jailing criminals.

Why do the police waste money on law-abiding hunters and target shooters instead of where it should be spent, on monitoring sex offenders, violent parolees and criminals prohibited from owning firearms? Wouldn't that keep Canadians safer?

Gary Mauser

Burnaby