In the past year, 10 police officers were shot and killed while on-duty – all considered to be premeditated attacks intended to take out police officers. Five of the 10 officer killings happened in Ontario. Last week’s ambush of three officers in Bourget – 60 kilometres north east of Morrisburg – and the killing of Sergeant Eric Mueller hits close to home. Bourget is same population as Iroquois.
The increase in gun violence, and the increased targeting of police officers is doubly-concerning in Canada. Firearm-related violent crime has been increasing since the early-2010s. Between 2012 and 2021, it increased by 25 per cent. News stories in major cities report more violent crime involving firearms, and that too hits close to home. In Ottawa, the same distance away from South Dundas as Bourget is, offensive weapons charges have increased by five-to-seven per cent per year for the past three years according to Ottawa Police Service statistics. Furthermore, the number of shootings in Ottawa since the beginning of this year is alarmingly higher –mostly on account of gang-related activity.
Efforts to restrict the sale of certain firearms by the federal government have met with opposition, and claims that classifying some weapons under the legislation would limit legitimate use of some weapons for hunting purposes. While that should be scrutinized, there still is a need to restrict certain firearms, and ensure the right checks-and-balances are there to promote responsible ownership and use of these weapons. But that is not all that is needed.
Successive federal and provincial governments have gone to the podium claiming to be “tough on crime” and pledged millions to stop the illegal trafficking of weapons – including across the porous Canada/United States border. Criminals do not buy legal weapons, and efforts by law enforcement in this country have only paid lip-service to curtailing the illegal gun trade here.
Limiting access to higher volume firearms – legal and illegal – is part of a solution: but there is another part that is often left out. Mental health factors higher than the ability to source a weapon to commit a crime. Coming out of three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, with all the lock downs, restrictions, fear and other emotions, no one has had a break.
Existing mental health issues have only been exacerbated through this period. Now that it has been decided that the pandemic is over, and society is returning to normal, any extra supports that were in place are gone. Anyone who has needed a break after an intense stressful time, is expected to return to life as it was before.
Addressing these three related issues – regulating legal firearms, stopping the trade of illegal firearms, and increasing mental health supports to those most in need – will not stop all serious gun violence from occurring. But these are good steps in the right direction, without trampling on anyone’s rights. It is a compromise that is not perfect but better than what is in place now.
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