Top Cops Testify Trudeau’s Handgun Ban is Misguided and Useless

Bill C-21 and the national handgun freeze recently imposed by the Trudeau government is misguided at best and useless at worst, according to both the government’s own documents and police experts across Canada.

So why does the Trudeau government insist on wasting taxpayer dollars on a gun ban that cannot solve the problem of drug dealers and gang violence?

Is it because Trudeau and company are complete and utter morons? 

Is it because Trudeau’s merry band of fools have little interest in actually stopping the flow of illegal guns into the hands of Canada’s criminal underclass?

Or is it because their agenda is entirely political, focused on pandering for votes from uninformed Canadians?

The government’s own published statements tell the tale, as do police subject-matter experts from across Canada.

• “The vast majority of owners of handguns and of other firearms in Canada lawfully abide by requirements, and most gun crimes are not committed with legally-owned firearms.”
  – Public Safety Canada’s document titled Reducing Violent Crime: A Dialogue on Handguns and Assault Weapons.[i]

 

• “Many participants felt strongly that a ban would target law-abiding owners, rather than illicit firearms, and would not greatly impact crime reduction (particularly gang violence). As a result, many called for enhanced enforcement capacity for law enforcement and border services, as well as harsher punishments for firearms trafficking and gun-related crime.”
  – Engagement Summary Report – Reducing Violent Crime: A Dialogue on Handguns and Assault-Style Firearms[ii]

 

• “We continue to maintain that restricting lawful handgun ownership will not meaningfully address the real issue: illegal handguns obtained from the United States that have led to the disturbing current trend in gun violence that is largely related to gangs, street gangs, and more sophisticated organized crime groups.”
  – Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police[iii]

 

• “Most of the laws we create are not going to be followed by the people who are committing the crimes with the guns. That’s really what it comes down to. A ban is only as good as the people who are willing to follow it. We have a ban on murders in Canada, yet, sadly, we still have homicides happening all the time.”
  – Chief Evan Bray, Regina Police Service[iv]

 

• “A handgun ban in Toronto will do nothing to abate gun crime. A city ban would have to be a bylaw, and criminals are totally ignoring criminal law, so a bylaw ticket likely won’t scare them! And the ‘law abiding’ handgun owners are just that, and not a threat.”
  – Chris D. Lewis, Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner, Retired[v]

 

• “It would be unmanageable and unfair to the majority of handgun owners who obey the law and always use their guns safely. Let’s effectively deal with the criminals that do NOT obey the current criminal law.”
  – Chris D. Lewis, Ontario Provincial Police Commissioner, Retired[vi]

 

• “Bill C-21 narrowly focuses on the tool or the firearm and not the criminal activity surrounding it. By only addressing the tool you are failing to address the root problem.”
  – Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation[vii]

 

• “There’s no way in my world or any world I know that this would have an impact on somebody who’s going to go out and buy an illegal gun and use it to kill another person or shoot another person.”
  – Mike McCormack, President of the Toronto Police Association[viii]

 

• “More regulations on law-abiding citizens is profoundly stupid. It is done by incompetent governments faced with a problem who want to be seen to be doing something but aren’t smart enough to actually figure out what to do.”
  – Former police officer Leo Knight[ix]

 

• “They’re not domestically sourced. They are internationally sourced. Our problem in Toronto is handguns from the United States. Investing in what you described is certainly not going to deal with the crime problem we’re facing in Toronto as it relates to criminal handguns and the use of criminal handguns.”
  – Myron Demkiw, Deputy Chief, Toronto Police Service[x]

 

• “Canada already has a strict licensing regime for firearms purchases and the changes proposed do not address issues of organized crime, nor gang violence, illegal weapons smuggling, systemic causes of crime, or emerging threats such as 3D printed or ghost guns.”
  – Brian Sauvé, president of the National Police Federation[xi]

 

• “Restricting lawful handgun ownership will not meaningfully address the real issue which is illegal firearms and illegal handguns obtained from the United States that have led to the disturbing current trend in gun violence that is largely related to gangs, street gangs and more sophisticated organized criminal groups.”
  – Chief Evan Bray, Regina Police Service[xii]

 

• “A very strong theme is that most people who are committing crime with guns are criminals who don’t have the ability to possess them. It’s not law-abiding gun owners who are committing the majority of these crimes.”
  – Chief Evan Bray, Regina Police Service[xiii]

 

• “Bill C-5 strikes down some mandatory minimum penalties related to weapons trafficking and firearms offences. This is inconsistent with the expressed intent of the government to reduce firearms violence in Canada.”
  – Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation[xiv]

 

• “Tackling criminal activity requires strong measures against criminals who threaten vulnerable communities, especially criminal activity that funds and empowers gangs and organized crime.”
  – Brian Sauvé, President of the National Police Federation[xv]

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

[i] https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cnslttns/hndgn/rdcng-vlnt-crm-en.aspx

[ii] https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2019-rdcng-vlnt-crm-dlg/index-en.aspx

[iii] https://www.cacp.ca/index.html?asst_id=3119

[iv] https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/SECU/meeting-6/evidence#Int-11503179

[v] https://twitter.com/ChrisLewisLLS/status/1159839338672189440

[vi] https://twitter.com/ChrisLewisLLS/status/1030863009974034432

[vii] https://www.theepochtimes.com/police-chiefs-say-upcoming-gun-control-legislation-doesnt-address-illegal-firearms_4824885.html

[viii] https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/handgun-ban-blair-toronto-police-union-1.4807778

[ix] https://tnc.news/2022/06/01/14-top-cops-and-policing-experts-who-doubt-the-effectiveness-of-the-proposed-liberal-gun-ban/

[x] https://openparliament.ca/committees/public-safety/44-1/6/myron-demkiw-6/

[xi] https://www.theepochtimes.com/police-chiefs-say-upcoming-gun-control-legislation-doesnt-address-illegal-firearms_4824885.html

[xii] https://www.oacp.ca/en/news/cacp-releases-statement-on-bill-c-21-firearms.aspx

[xiii] https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/SECU/meeting-6/evidence#Int-11503116

[xiv] https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/11759469#Int-11666836

[xv] ibid