Posted on 09/02/2005 9:15:49 AM PDT by neverdem
In an effort to stem a recent rash of gun violence in Toronto, the Ontario government announced it will begin conducting sweeps of gun shops to help reduce the number of illegal guns in the city.
"[We want] to ensure that we have safe standards in place," said the province's Attorney-General Michael Bryant at a press conference in Toronto Thursday.
However, Mr. Bryant said the sweep will be limited to businesses and not individual homes, as that is the purview of the federal government and the gun registry.
The government is also taking a number of other measures aimed at stopping the bloodshed, including improvements to the witness protection program to encourage more people to come forward, creating a gun amnesty to get illegal guns off the street and creating new ways for the Crown to use evidence of the impact of gun violence on communities before the courts.
At the press conference, Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair admitted it may be difficult to get hard-core criminals to turn in their guns in a gun amnesty program.
"The problem with bad guys is they don't register their guns and it is unlikely they would turn in their gun. But it is very possible that someone who knows that individual, maybe even cares about that individual might choose to turn in that gun. And it's much more likely that people who have possession of guns who don't want them to fall in the hands of the criminal element will turn in those guns -- and fewer guns available in our city is in my view a very positive thing."
The press conference came at the end of a series of meetings among officials from all three levels of government in the past two days comes as Toronto endures a violent summer. So far this year, 33 people have been killed with guns.
Mr. Bryant said the proposed improvements to the witness protection program are easy to make and could really make a difference.
"What most witnesses require is some level of support and accommodation. That can range from something as simple as if you're giving evidence or testifying against a neighbour, it might be an accommodation that we would provide assistance to that individual to move to a new location or to allow their children to go to a different school if they feel that that's a difficult circumstance for their kids," he said.
He said the police must endeavour to help them come forward while providing a minimum disruption to their lives.
The province is working closely with the Toronto Police Service to implement the changes.
Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair said it's also important to protect people in the long term, because often they come forward initially but don't want to continue to have their lives in upheaval over the long term.
"If we can expand the range of protection provided, in some cases we can keep witnesses that we can lose. "
Mr. Bryant met with federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler on Wednesday.
Said Captain Obvious of the RCMP.
This is how people stay "subjects".
Actually, the quoted dimwit is with the Toronto City Police. They are widely known to have some pretty serious problems.
Sounds like they are in hte first stages of going Aussie on us.
All gun shop owners in Ontario would be welcomed with open arms here in the Free State of New Hampshire.
The Chief must have thought long and hard before coming to that understanding. Impressive guy, Chief Blair.
It is far easier and safer to persecute law-abiding gun shops and / or owners than to go after the ones who are the REAL problem.
We will see canadians 'turning in' their guns very soon...
Liberals that come to my house looking for my guns will be greeted with a nice warm welcome............
From my cold dead hands!
Thanks for the link.
In an effort to stem a recent rash of gun violence in Toronto, the Ontario government announced it will begin conducting sweeps of gun shops to help reduce the number of illegal guns in the city.
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