Great Falls to auction seized firearms

GREAT FALLS (AP) — The Great Falls Police Department will be auctioning off about 150 seized firearms to federal firearms license holders.

The department is holding an auction Friday to get rid of the firearms that they no longer are required to keep.

The Montana Legislature in 2009 passed a law allowing firearms to be treated like other items that have been seized as evidence. The police department sells seized vehicles and other property when owners can’t be located and will do the same with the firearms.

Some of the firearms have been found on property not connected to an owner, while others have been taken from suspects as evidence in criminal cases.

The funds from the firearms sales will go to the city of Great Falls.