Team CSSA E-News | January 7, 2019
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- Most Quebecers want long-gun registry enforced, according to new Léger poll
- Gun Owners Call BS on Restrictive Measures in New Jersey and Canada
- Christie Blatchford: What is taking so long with Toronto Danforth mass shooting investigation?
- Mandatory Gun Registration in Quebec has few takers (Video)
- Surge in gun crimes, mass attacks made 2018 ‘unique’ and challenging, Toronto police chief says
- Nearly three years after Trudeau's promise, Canadian weapons for Kurds still sitting in Montreal warehouse
- Why Canada should restore conscription
- NY officials host toy gun buyback: ‘Saying no to guns is important — even toy guns.’ Police agree.
- Washington bans anyone under 21 from buying assault rifles
- Stricter gun laws in 2019 — including California lifetime firearms ownership ban on some domestic abusers
- Private gun ownership in Kenya outpaces police and military
- Brazil gun laws: Bolsonaro vows to loosen ownership rules
- Meghan the animal lover puts her hatred of bloodsports aside as she joins royals - including Kate as relations thaw further - for Boxing Day shooting feast
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Despite a correction, Canada’s gun control debate is still tainted by bad information
by Matt Gurney, Radio Host, Global News | globalnews.ca | January 5, 2019
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Bad information, once loose, persists. A false report is remembered long after a correction. But the ongoing debate about gun control in Canada is tainted by bad information. Let’s see what we can do about that.
And it seemed like the mayor was onto something. The Canadian Press, shortly after the Danforth shooting,
published an article
quoting a Toronto police detective at length. The article specifically claimed that guns that could be traced back to Canada were now the leading source for criminals in the city, eclipsing the traditional source: smugglers bringing guns in from the United States.
The number of “crime guns” — which in Toronto can mean not only guns used in crime, but also those illegally altered, or seized during criminal investigations — traced back to Canadian owners was “surging,” the article reads. “[Some Canadians] go get their licence for the purpose of becoming a firearms trafficker,” Det. Rob Di Danieli told the Canadian Press.
The Canadian Press provides news articles to most major news organizations across the country, Global News included. The piece was widely reprinted and was also cited in other reporting. It directly supported a renewed call for a handgun ban in Canada, a call that was taken up by city councils in Toronto and Montreal and is now being studied by the federal Liberals, who have campaigned on a handgun ban before — it was a key plank in
Paul Martin’s failed 2006 campaign
. It formed a central part of the debate that those calls provoked.
Its main claim — the surge in domestic guns used in crimes beginning around 2012 — was entirely based on the CP’s interview with Det. di Danieli. There appeared to be no independent verification. Dennis R. Young, a researcher and writer based in Alberta, filed a Freedom of Information request with the Toronto police, seeking precise figures dating back many years. The police obliged, and
Young published the data verbatim online
.
Below: Data shows the number of ‘crime guns’ seized by Toronto police based that can be traced back to Canada and the U.S.
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The details are
in my column from September
, and the data — the Toronto police’s own stats — showed no “surge” in guns traced back to Canadians. None. There was some ebb-and-flow across different years, but nothing like an emerging pattern, let alone a surge. The overwhelming majority of Toronto crime guns are never traced back to any particular source. Of those that can be traced either to the United States and Canada, the U.S. leads in most years, Canada in two, with one tie. There is nothing like a surge to be seen among domestic guns.
BELOW: Data comparing the number of crime guns seized by Toronto police that can be traced back to the U.S. or to lawful Canadian gun owners.
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In September, I had obviously requested comment from Det. di Danieli and the CP. The police acknowledged my request to speak to the detective, and then never got back to me and ignored all follow ups. An editor at the CP told me that they were aware of and looking into the matter, and then ignored my follow ups.
This pissed me off. Not in a sense of personal affront. I’ve been ignored before. But this incident is, to my mind, a black mark for both the Toronto police and the CP.
Policing and reporting are both supposed to be about the truth. The police and the CP had combined to put out inaccurate information, and that inaccurate information was driving public debate. At minimum, a correction, or some comparable acknowledgement, was absolutely required.
None came. Until a few days ago.
On Dec. 27, in that quiet lull between Christmas and New Year’s, the Canadian Press published a new article. It wasn’t a retraction or a correction to their previous report. Indeed, the new article didn’t even refer directly to the CP’s earlier reporting. The
new CP article
, written by the excellent reporter Michelle McQuigge, detailed a year-end press conference by Toronto Police Service Chief Mark Saunders.
And this article, finally, sets the record straight. There indeed has been no surge in crime guns traced back to legally-licensed Canadian owners. “[Firearms] imported from the U.S. were implicated in … crimes more often than domestically sourced firearms in eight of the past 11 years,” writes McQuigge. “Domestically sourced crime guns only surpassed U.S. imports in 2010 and 2015, with the two figures tied in 2016.”
As for the police, they have also, ahem, expanded upon their earlier statements. They told the CP that the majority of rifles and shotguns seized as crime guns by Toronto police are linked back to Canadians (which doesn’t surprise me). But they also finally admitted what should have been said months ago. Again, quoting a Toronto police spokesperson from McQuigge’s piece: “The majority of crime guns that are handguns seized by the Toronto Police Service are sourced via the U.S.”
Well then.
Canadians have spent four months having a debate, including public consultations, based in part on bad information. Information that was known to be bad months ago, but that went uncorrected until two days after Christmas, when news readership is typically way, way below usual levels.
I’m not suggesting for an instant that there is not a problem with domestically sourced guns in Canada. The police definition of a crime gun is problematic — it includes guns seized during investigations that may not ever have been used in a crime, and also includes objects such as air guns that aren’t firearms under the law. So you have to take some of the stats with a grain of salt. But still. We should always have an open mind about ways to make our gun control system more effective at reducing crime.
But there is simply no evidence that there is a worsening problem among lawful Canadian handgun owners, the people targeted by the proposed ban — in effect, held up as partially responsible for tragic deaths and senseless crimes. The Toronto police numbers don’t show it. Nationally, the Public Safety Ministry
has conceded
that it has no data to support claims by Minister Ralph Goodale that domestic owners now provide the majority of crime guns. That entire narrative, embraced wholeheartedly by the mayor and somewhat more cautiously by federal Liberals, is based on bad information that should not have been reported.
To call all this disappointing would be an understatement. In an era when news organizations all over the world are being accused of peddling fake news, and when every police force recognizes the challenge of retaining public trust, this is absolutely appalling.
I’m a reasonable guy. Stuff happens. Errors are made. The public is owed honesty, not perfection. Mistakes, when made, should be publicly corrected, as quickly as possible. Four months is too long.
Canadians got their honesty, eventually. Better late than never, I suppose. But damage has been done. My satisfaction in the truth finally being acknowledged — and there is some — is soured by that grim reality. Bad information lasts forever.
All we can do now, as properly informed citizens, is hold politicians accountable when they repeat that bad information, whether they’re doing so in ignorance or with malice. I’ll do my part. The rest is up to you.
See the full commentary
HERE
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In the 2019 election, will you hold politicians accountable for repeating bad information?
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Absolutely. I've had enough.
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Most Quebecers want long-gun registry enforced, according to new Léger poll
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By CBC News | cbc.ca | January 4, 2019
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Léger survey commissioned by PolySeSouvient suggests 78 per cent in favour of law
The majority of Quebecers who participated in a recent Léger Marketing survey say they are in favour of the province's long-gun registry, set to go into effect later this month.
A gun-control group commissioned the poll with the aim of encouraging Premier François Legault to impose fines on people who fail to register their firearms.
The online survey of 1,008 respondents over the age of 18 revealed that 78 per cent want the law to be enforced as soon as the registration deadline passes.
Nine per cent completely disagree, seven per cent mostly disagree and six per cent said they did not know, or refused to respond.
Those who fail to register their long guns by Jan. 29, or are found without proof of their registration with them, can face fines from $500 to $5,000.
As a form of protest against this new regulation, some gun owners are waiting until the last minute to register their guns.
That action is supported by the National Firearm Association, a group that lobbies against gun-control legislation in Canada.
According to the latest figures released by Quebec's Public Security Ministry, fewer than 300,000 firearms were registered before Christmas.
The survey was conducted from Dec. 21 to Dec. 26.
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Pickering Gun Show
January 13, 2019
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Where
1867 Valley Farm Road
Pickering, ON
When
Sunday: 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
For more information, please call Jeff or Charlene
at 905-623-1778.
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This information is subject to change.
Please contact gun show coordinator to confirm date, time and location.
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14 Things You Should Know About VIOLENT CRIME and FIREARMS in CANADA
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By Senator Don Plett | donplett.ca |January 4, 2019
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The debate over the regulation of firearms in Canada is often influenced more by emotion than by facts. Since good public policy should be based on solid evidence, following are a few facts for consideration:
1. Violent crime is decreasing in Canada.
The number of people charged in violent criminal code violations has decreased by about 25% over the last 20 years – from almost 700 per 100,000 persons to just over 500.
2. Canada’s homicide rate is trending downward.
As reported by Statistics Canada, “Despite year‑to‑year fluctuations of Canadian homicide statistics, the rate of homicide in Canada has generally been decreasing over the years.” Homicides in Canada peaked in 1975 and have been trending downward ever since. In fact, since 1975, the homicide rate in Canada has dropped by almost half.
3. The use of firearms in homicides is trending downward.
The use of firearms in homicides has been trending downward since 1974. There was a 20% increase between 2013 (the lowest rate of fatal shootings ever recorded) and 2016, which according to Statistics Canada, “…was driven by a substantive increase in gang-related homicides over that period.” In spite of this increase, the long term trend continues to point downwards.
4. Knives are used more often than guns in homicides.
Since 1974, the use of knives in homicides has been trending upwards, while the use of guns has been trending downwards. Between 2007 and 2016, more homicides were committed by stabbing than by firearms in 7 out of 10 of those years.
5. Guns are rarely used in the commission of violent crimes in Canada.
Statistics Canada says that a “small proportion of police-reported violent crime involves firearms”. To illustrate, in 2016, there were 265,555 reported instances of violent crime. Only about one fifth (21.5%) of these involved the use of a weapon. This weapon was a firearm in only 2.7% of police-reported violent crime incidents and a handgun only 1.6% of the time – the equivalent of 1 out of every 63 reported incidents of violent crime.
6. Increased gang activity has substantially contributed to the homicide rate in recent years.
Statistics Canada reports that the recent increase in homicides has been “driven by a substantive increase in gang-related homicides.” Between 1996 and 2016, gang-related homicides increased by almost 400 percent.
7. One in four homicide victims in 2016 had links to organized crime or a street gang.
Statistics Canada reports that, “In 2016, police reported 141 gang‑related homicides, an increase of 45 from the 96 reported in 2015. These represented almost one‑quarter of the homicides in 2016 where police knew whether or not the incident was gang‑related. Overall, gang‑related homicides accounted for 30% of homicides that occurred in Census Metropolitan Areas in 2016.”
8. Most gun crimes are not committed with legally-owned firearms
According to the federal government, “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.”
9. Handguns have been registered in Canada since 1934.
Not many people appear to be aware of this fact, but it’s true: Handguns are already restricted weapons and have been registered in Canada since 1934. In spite of this, handguns are more commonly used in homicides than long guns.
10. The number of people being charged for breaking the Firearms Act is minuscule.
In 2017, the rate of persons being charged for breaking the Firearms Act was .22 per 100,000 persons or 2.2 per million persons. This rate is the lowest it has been since 2001 and has been trending downwards for over 15 years.
11. Banning handguns or introducing more firearm regulations does not reduce gun violence.
This fact is noted on the website of Public Safety Canada, “In all cases the data does not conclusively demonstrate that these handgun or assault weapon bans have led to reductions in gun violence… ". According to gun control experts, "No methodologically sound studies exist supporting the effectiveness of general firearms laws."
12. There is no association between an increase in gun ownership and the homicide rate.
Despite concerns to the contrary, research shows that increased legal gun ownership does not result in an increase in homicide.
13. There is no correlation between levels of gun ownership and suicide rates.
In 1998, a Department of Justice study noted that: "In Canada, provincial comparisons of firearm ownership levels and overall rates of suicide found that levels of firearm ownership had no correlation with regional suicide rates. Furthermore, the Canadian rate of firearm suicides has dropped without evidence of a similar reduction in the rate of firearm ownership."
14. Background checks under the Firearms Act have had no impact on homicide or spousal homicide rates.
In his brief to the House of Commons Committee on Public Safety and National Security, Dr. Caillin Langmann noted that background checks on individuals applying for a firearm license have had no impact on homicide and spousal homicide rates where firearms were involved.
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Gun Owners Call BS on Restrictive Measures in New Jersey and Canada
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By nraila.org | January 4, 2019
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Treating nice people like criminals isn’t likely to enhance respect for the law.
That’s a tough lesson anti-gun officials in New Jersey and Canada are learning now that deadlines are past or nearly arrived for certain newly-enacted gun control measures.
Both localities are apparently experiencing widespread noncompliance with new requirements for firearm owners, despite provisions in the laws that threaten stiff punishment for those who don’t obey.
New Jersey gun owners faced a Dec. 10 deadline for compliance with a state ban on magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds.
Residents in possession of formerly legal magazines had to surrender, destroy, transfer, or modify them or face felony penalties of up to 18 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Opponents of the law had challenged it in court, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
denied the petition
in
a Dec. 5 ruling
.
This led New Jersey’s Attorney General Gurbir Grewal
to exalt on Twitter
that the decision was a “[b]ig win for public safety and law enforcement safety!”
It’s hard to see how that could be so, however, given (among other things) that both enforcement officials and New Jersey residents seem content to simply ignore the dispossession mandate.
The New Jersey State Police
answered a news outlet’s request to elaborate
on how they would enforce the new magazine ban by referring the reporter to the Attorney General’s Office. That office, however, had no comment.
When pressed on specific possible enforcement scenarios, a public information officer at the attorney general’s office stated, "We've answered your query. … We have no comment."
Another writer on firearm-related issues
was told by sources within the New Jersey State Police
that they had received no guidance from the attorney general’s office on how to enforce the ban, nor did they have any current plans to investigate suspected violations.
That same writer attempted to determine whether any magazines had been surrendered by asking the governor’s office, the attorney general’s office, the state police, and several local police departments. In each case, the entity either refused to comment or reported that no magazines had been surrendered. The writer has since filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the state police and is awaiting a response.
A
journalist for Reason.com embarked on a similar exercise
and was likewise unable to substantiate any magazines having been surrendered. As he pointed out, there are other possible means of complying with the law short of surrender, but there is no evidence those options are being used, either.
Thus, Garden State residents have either been discretely dealing with the matter personally or perhaps not dealing with it at all. With some one million estimated gun owners in New Jersey, it’s notable that not a single agency would confirm having received a surrendered magazine. Then again, this is perhaps not surprising, given that nobody knows how many non-compliant magazines remain in New Jersey or who might have them.
And it’s not just gun-loving Americans who are displaying skepticism toward newly-enacted gun control. Even some of our assiduously polite neighbors to the north may be thumbing their chilly noses at recent anti-gun mandates.
After the Canadian national government scrapped its failed long gun registry, the territory of
Quebec enacted long gun registration
requirements of its own that went into effect early in 2018. The territory’s public security minister improbably claimed at the time that the measure would “both prevent and solve crimes.”
Nearly a year later, and with penalties of up to $5,000 set to take effect later this month, the Montreal Gazette is reporting that less than 18% of the guns estimated to be covered by the law have been registered.
According to that article
: “The government has put the number of long guns — mostly shotguns and rifles — in Quebec at roughly 1.6 million. But since the registry opened last January, only 284,125 guns had been declared, Public Security Department spokeswoman Louise Quintin said.”
Ironically, a supporter of the Quebec registry told the Gazette that the registry “is essential because guns cannot be controlled if the government doesn’t know how many there are and where they are.”
What the backers of the measure fail to appreciate, however, is that the registry itself is unenforceable for exactly the same reasons.
This fact, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to have escaped over 80% of the territory’s already overly-burdened long gun owners.
Only time will tell if New Jersey and Quebec will try to back up the dubious and high-minded public safety rhetoric that accompanied the enactment of these gun control laws with enforcement action against otherwise law-abiding residents.
In the meantime, it may not just be an appreciation for hockey that unites New Jerseyans and Québécoises, but antipathy for overreaching and silly gun control as well.
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Saskatchewan Gun Collectors Show
January 12-13, 2019
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Where
100 Armour Rd Highway 6 N
Regina, SK S4P 3C7
When
Saturday: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, please call Bill Temple
at 306-584-0764.
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This information is subject to change.
Please contact gun show coordinator to confirm date, time and location.
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Christie Blatchford: What is taking so long with Toronto Danforth mass shooting investigation?
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By Christie Blatchford | lfpress.com | December 28, 2018
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One wouldn’t imagine this was a great mystery requiring months and months of investigation cloaked in secrecy
It has now been 172 days, or more than five months, since Faisal Hussain took his lethal walk along the Danforth on a Toronto summer’s evening.
By the time his rampage ended, two fine young people, 10-year-old Julianna Kozis and 18-year-old Reese Fallon, were dead, and 13 others were injured, some seriously. Hussain himself was also dead, it appears by his own hand, according to Toronto Police documents that were unsealed by court order in September.
Those documents provided the only hard information about the mass shooting or the shooter — or at least about what the Toronto Police were seeking to search in Hussain’s apartment — that has been released to the public to date.
Because the province’s Special Investigations Unit took the lead on the investigation — there were reports that two Toronto officers had exchanged gunfire with Hussain before he allegedly took his own life, and the SIU’s mandate is to probe any lethal or serious interaction with police — the Toronto force is seriously hamstrung about what it can say about the shooting.
Thus even this week, when Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders held a year-end press conference, Saunders deflected questions on the Danforth shooting.
The last time the SIU issued a press release about the incident was July 23, the day after the shooting, when it formally identified Hussain.
Since then, there has been only silence.
In September, a Post source suggested the delay was at the Centre for Forensic Sciences, where the SIU sends evidence for processing, including firearms from police who may have been identified as what the SIU calls “subject officers,” meaning those who were believed to have fired their weapons.
In simple terms, most guns and rifles leave unique “rifling” marks on the bullets they fire, caused by grooves in the barrel of the weapon. These can link fired projectiles to particular guns.
Indeed, according to SIU spokeswoman Monica Hudon, the SIU did early on identify two officers as “subject” officers, but “based on findings,” they were quickly re-designated as “witness officers.”
Neither SIU director Tony Loparco, nor his occasional stand-in, Joe Martino, replied to infrequent Post emails over the summer, asking what on earth was taking so long. Similarly, Loparco didn’t answer one Friday.
At the Centre for Forensic Sciences, meantime, deputy director Jonathan Newman told the Post in an email that he had “reviewed our files and nothing remains outstanding,” and that further questions should be directed to the SIU.
However, Newman didn’t reply to a second note, asking when the CFS had completed its work and sent the results to the SIU.
There’s no way of knowing why the investigation has taken so long
Another SIU spokeswoman, Jasbir Dhillon, told the Post Friday that the file is now “in the director’s office for his review.”
Asked if that meant the investigation was closed, Dhillon said it was ongoing until Loparco completes his review and makes a determination.
Dhillon also confirmed what Hudon said in September — that there are nine Toronto officers designated as witnesses and none as “subject officers,” or shooters.
Whether that means there was never an exchange of gunfire between police and Hussain is anyone’s guess. Is that what the firearms section at the CFS found — that none of the bullets which may have hit Hussain came from police weapons?
Similarly, there’s no way of knowing why the investigation has taken so long. The Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of U.S. president John Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, took about a year, or about twice as long as this one, to conclude and issue its report.
Nature abhors a vacuum, and in the one surrounding the Danforth shooting, there have been rumours galore (the unsealed police search warrant showed police were looking for links to extremism) as well as his family statement, released the day afterwards, suggesting Hussain had struggled with “psychosis and depression his entire life” and that they “did our best to seek help for him.”
Let’s see: A 29-year-old man armed with a gun walks along a street crowded with café-goers and ice cream-eaters; he fires at some people and spares others; he kills two of the youngest of the innocent; he ends up dead.
One wouldn’t imagine this was a great mystery requiring months and months of investigation cloaked in secrecy.
The only thing that is crystal clear in this mess is that the SIU has some ‘splaining to do, and so does the Centre for Forensic Sciences. Did someone drop the ball, and if so, which organization and why? And if not, then for the love of God, say so, and give the public some real information.
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MANDATORY GUN REGISTRATION IN QUEBEC HAS FEW TAKERS (VIDEO)
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By Chris Eger | guns.com | December 28, 2018
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A new law in Quebec requiring most guns in the Canadian province to be logged with the government has seen underwhelming results.
Adopted earlier this year, the
Firearms Registration Act
requires about 95 percent of the guns in the province of 8 million residents to be registered. However, The Canadian Press is reporting that
less than 20 percent
of the shotguns and rifles believed to fall under the new rules have been recorded by their owners.
Of the estimated 1.6 million guns affected by the guidelines, just 284,125 have been declared to authorities, who expect the process to cost as much as $15 million USD.
Guy Morin, a pro-gun activist who leads a
group opposed to the registration
,
said he hopes the noncompliance will translate into the law becoming unenforceable. “We are Canadian gun owners, and this is insulting to us,” he said
Gun owners have to register the details of their firearms, including the make, model, barrel length, caliber, serial number and where it is stored as well as their own personal information backed up by documentation. Those who fail to register face fines of as much as $3,700 USD. The only exception is for antiques made prior to 1898, and devices such as flare guns and line-throwers.
Canada had a national firearms registry for both restricted and non-restricted guns from 1993 until 2012 when common guns such as bolt-action rifles and shotguns were removed from its requirements. A number of provinces, as well as the Conservative Party, campaigned to repeal the requirement citing it exceeded the federal government’s powers, was ineffective when it came to increasing public safety, and was too expensive.
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Surge in gun crimes, mass attacks made 2018 ‘unique’ and challenging, Toronto police chief says
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By Michelle McQuigge | nationalpost.com | December 27, 2018
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Mark Saunders said 514 handguns were recovered so far in 2018 -- 222 more than in 2017 -- and the number of homicides caused by shootings rose
TORONTO — A uniquely violent year in Toronto marked by a major surge in gun-related crimes saw police seize an unusually high number of handguns from city streets, the force’s chief said Thursday.
Mark Saunders said officers had recovered 514 handguns so far in 2018 — or 222 more than in 2017 — and the number of homicides caused by shootings had gone up by nearly 30 per cent.
The influx of guns came from a variety of sources, said Saunders, softening previous police statements suggesting domestically sourced firearms were the cause of the majority of gun crimes in the city.
The serge in gun violence remains his highest concern moving into 2019, said Saunders as he reflected on a year that’s seen Toronto grapple with a new homicide record and the aftermath of two mass-casualty attacks.
“Every day, we’re seeing more guns,” Saunders said at a year-end news conference. “So that’s one aspect that has to be looked at. The second piece is what’s motivating people to use a gun to resolve issues.”
Saunders did not provide a detailed breakdown of where the guns were coming from, though he indicated a growing numbers are produced by three-dimensional printers and repeated a regular claim that domestically registered guns were implicated in many crimes.
In the past, both Saunders and senior officers with the force’s guns and gangs unit have said the domestic firearms have eclipsed weapons imported from the United States as those most likely to be used to commit a crime.
Earlier this year, for instance, guns and gangs Det. Rob Di Danieli said about half of all guns used in crimes came from domestic sources, citing 2012 as the year when the trend took root.
Internal police data obtained under a Freedom Of Information request and shared with the Canadian Press, however, paint a different picture.
While the number of guns used in crimes dropped off between 2007 and 2017, guns imported from the U.S. were implicated in those crimes more often than domestically sourced firearms in eight of the past 11 years. Domestically sourced crime guns only surpassed U.S. imports in 2010 and 2015, with the two figures tied in 2016. The data did not include a breakdown of how many guns were sourced from countries outside of the United States or the number whose origins could not be traced.
When asked to comment on the apparent contradiction, a Toronto police spokesman said that over the last five years, there’s been a significant increase in investigations, arrests and successful prosecutions of people who have legally purchased firearms in Canada and then diverted or resold them for profit.
“The majority of crime guns that are handguns seized by the Toronto Police Service are sourced via the U.S.,” Kevin Masterman said in an email to The Canadian Press. “The majority of crime guns that are long guns, which includes sawed-off shotguns, are domestically sourced.”
At Thursday’s news conference, Saunders said he was less concerned with identifying the source of firearms than pinpointing what prompted people to use them, attributing the spike in gun violence to street gang activity.
“If somebody wants a gun, they’re going to get a gun,” he said. “There are more streams to get access to them than ever before, and so dealing with that is one aspect of it, but changing that motivation, or apprehending those that are motivated to shoot I think is more of a primary concern in today’s environment.”
Saunders acknowledged that 2018 was a particularly challenging year for the force that found itself taxed by a series of high-profile incidents.
Vast resources were devoted to the investigation of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur, who is accused of killing eight men with ties to the city’s gay community over a seven-year period.
Every day, we're seeing more guns
In addition, two large-scale attacks in busy Toronto neighbourhoods added 12 to the city’s overall homicide tally and strained police resources, Saunders said.
A deadly van attack in April saw Alek Minassian allegedly go on a deadly rampage down a stretch of Yonge Street in a rental van, mowing down pedestrians and killing 10 people. Three months later, a gunman opened fire in the bustling Greektown neighbourhood, firing indiscriminately at pedestrians and restaurant patrons and killing two people before turning the gun on himself.
Saunders said those two high-profile events caused public concern about the safety of the city — even more so than the surge in gun violence.
“It’s one thing when you’re dealing with the gun play. It’s another thing when you’re walking down a street and looking over your shoulder or you’re sitting in a restaurant,” he said. “The general public really felt stung by the two mass casualties back to back, and it’s still there.”
Toronto residents, however, have been raising concerns about public safety as the city’s homicide rate steadily climbed throughout the year.
Police have recorded 96 homicides so far in 2018, seven more than the previous record high of 89 set in 1991. Force statistics suggest 51 of those homicides were caused by shooting, up more than 28 per cent from last year.
Mayor John Tory has repeatedly called for a handgun ban in the city.
Saunders said he believes Toronto is still one of the safest cities in North America, describing this year as “unique” and predicting violence would subside in 2019.
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The January/February edition of
WESTERN WOODS & WATERS
is here!
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Subscribe for FREE
HERE
today!
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Nearly three years after Trudeau's promise, Canadian weapons for Kurds still sitting in Montreal warehouse
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By David Pugliese | nationalpost.com | January 2, 2019
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A Department of National Defence official said no plans currently exist to distribute the weapons in Iraq
Nearly three years after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to send weapons to Kurds in Iraq the armaments are still sitting in a military warehouse in Montreal, with no current plans to distribute the equipment to either Kurdish or Canadian forces.
The government went as far as arranging to have a military aircraft transport the weapons to the Kurdish region of Iraq, where Canadian special forces were to distribute them to Kurdish soldiers whom they were training as part of the fight against ISIL. “The CAF (Canadian Armed Forces) delivery and distribution of equipment on the ground would ensure increased accountability and control while allowing for better synchronization of intended training efforts with equipment delivery and issue,” said a July 2016 briefing document Postmedia obtained under the Access to Information law.
But the armaments, with an estimated value of around $10 million, got no farther than the Canadian Forces Supply Depot in Montreal, where they remain. The equipment includes .50-calibre sniper rifles equipped with silencers, 60mm mortars, Carl Gustav anti-tank systems, grenade launchers, pistols, carbines, thermal binoculars, cameras, scopes and medical supplies.
A Department of National Defence official said no plans currently exist to distribute the weapons in Iraq. It is unclear why the equipment would not be then be redistributed to Canadian military units; however, a DND source said the weapons will stay in storage until the federal government decides what to do with them, and there are no indications when such a decision will be made. Much of the gear could be used by the Canadian Forces if it is decided the equipment can’t be sent overseas.
In February 2016 Trudeau announced Canada would provide weapons to the Kurds to support the fight against terrorists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. But the plan quickly went off the rails.
The Iraqi government opposed arming the Kurds, who had openly acknowledged their intent was to secede one day from Iraq. They cited the example of Quebec’s attempts to leave Canada, and Kurdish leaders said the Canadian equipment was needed both to fight ISIL and to defend a future independent Kurdish state.
Some defence analysts warned the Canadian government and military from the beginning that providing the Kurds with weapons was a mistake. When asked in 2016 about concerns that Canadian training and equipment could aid the Kurds in their quest for independence, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance replied it was important to have political unity during the fight against ISIL. “Where, after, Iraq decides to go in terms of its political laydown is up to Iraq,” he said.
In the fall of 2017 Iraqi troops attacked Kurdish forces after the Kurdish Regional Government announced plans to declare an independent state in the northern part of the country, including the oil-rich area around Kirkuk. At that point the Canadian plan stalled.
“The list of equipment comprised of small arms, ammunition and optical sights that has been acquired was originally intended to equip a force of between 500 – 600 Kurdish security force soldiers,” Department of National Defence spokesman Dan Le Bouthillier told Postmedia in the summer of 2018.
The equipment also included C6 general purpose machine guns and C8 carbines, which are used by the Canadian Forces.
The July 2016 briefing, intended for defence minister Harjit Sajjan, noted that the military wanted to use the Canadian Commercial Corporation to arrange to buy some of the equipment and that the Canadian Forces would be the “exporter of record.”
Canada has provided other donations of non-lethal equipment to the Kurds, including shipments in 2014 and 2015 of helmets, clothing, bulletproof vests and bomb-hunting robots.
But the Canadian military has also experienced some of the difficulties of moving equipment into the volatile region. In October 2015 Iraqi officials temporarily seized an aircraft carrying weapons for Canadian special forces in Kurdistan. The seizure came amid a wave of anti-western conspiracy theories rife in Iraqi politics. Some Iraqis voiced their concern the weapons were to be used by the Kurds for their independence movement. But other Iraqi lawmakers and military commanders claimed that the U.S. and its allies were secretly arming ISIL in order to keep the country in chaos.
The Canadian aircraft, carrying rifles and silencers, was eventually allowed to leave Baghdad airport. The Iraqis also stopped a Swedish aircraft, with small arms on board, that was on its way to the Kurdish region.
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AACCA Calgary Gun Show | January 12, 2019
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Visit the AACCA Calgary Gun Show
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Where
BMO Centre
5600 Centre St N
Calgary, AB T2G 2W1
When
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, please contact Josie
at 403-771-8348 or email
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This information is subject to change.
Please contact gun show coordinator to confirm date, time and location.
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Why Canada should restore conscription
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By Daniel Caudle | clintonnewsrecord.com | December 26, 2018
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Canada is not a militaristic country. We are peacekeepers to which other nations look during combat between sovereign countries.
Canada is not a militaristic country. We are peacekeepers to which other nations look during combat between sovereign countries.
Yet according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Canada’s military is on track to spend $20.6 billion in 2017. That puts Canada 14th in terms of military spending in the world.
But Canada needs to spend more money on their military, not just because of escalating tensions on a worldwide scale, but because, in my opinion, conscription will help make us a better nation.
It would be beneficial to conscript Canadians when they reach 18, and if they are fit to serve, to attend a year-long basic military program. The focus would be on physical fitness, mental fitness, and it would provide the core values the Canadian Army already teaches its recruits, as well as a focus on gun control and gun safety.
After completion, allow every graduate to continue with their lives. Or, they can choose to stay with the military, which, according to the Canadian Army’s stats, nearly 40,000 Canadians have done.
Other countries do almost the same. According to the BBC, they include Brazil, Switzerland, South Korea, Israel, Greece, Lithuania, Cuba, Iran and, more recently to some extent, Sweden and France.
Sweden earlier this year reintroduced a form of conscription, and according to its government, 4,000 men and women will be called up to serve their country. They were selected from among 13,000 Swedes born in 1999. Sweden’s new policy is in response to escalating tensions in that part of Europe.
The Swiss government has also ramped it up recently by considering making it mandatory for women to also be called in for the conscription draft. Switzerland currently has mandatory military service in the army for all able-bodied male citizens. They are conscripted at age 18. This would change to incorporate women aged 18 into the draft.
It comes as no surprise that the conscription in Switzerland has had a lasting effect on keeping their neutral status despite being surrounded on all sides during two world wars. Citizens who attend the mandatory basic training were easily able to be called upon when the country needed and protect their neutrality and way of living despite Nazi Germany on the Swiss doorstep.
In fact, according to the Swiss government, until recently its citizens were given ammunition to their military guns, which they are also legally allowed to store in their homes.
Yet, even with Switzerland’s stunningly high gun ownership rate, they suffered three gun deaths per year, and that includes suicide.
If we were to take a proposal such as the Swiss model, I think it could be beneficial to Canada to implement this idea. Aside from proper gun etiquette and usage, and according to the current Canadian Army’s standard of teaching duty, loyalty, integrity, courage and professionalism, the benefits far outweigh the cons.
A potential great impact this will have is to help fight the obesity epidemic, which the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development says affects 25.8 per cent of the population. The routine of proper, nutrition eating, as well as exercise, could be instilled at an early enough age through this program that these lifestyle choices will extend well into adulthood.
For compensation, we could give all that attend this mandatory program a grant of $30,000 for their year of service, which can then be put towards a college education, or used to open a small business or used on items which then enters back into the economy. This would in turn help eliminate the debt crisis graduates face upon leaving school, as well aligns with the idea of a universal basic income, which the Canadian government is already working on implementing.
Now, of course, there will need to be exceptions to those who will have the need to attend this. As I said earlier, only able bodies and mentally stable members of the public will need to attend this. There will also have to be an excuse for single parents, as well as those whose intelligence has propelled them into an educational standpoint that their contribution to the country is better sued by keeping them in the studies.
With such fragile states around the globe, I believe it is only a matter of time before Canada is called upon to serve and help protect the sovereignty of another nation. I think out best practical approach to this is to implement a conscription and mandate a yearly military service for those who can once they turn 18.
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Kevin Beasley is bear hunting at 'Muskeg Country Outfitters' in Southwestern Manitoba with good friend Dennis Laporte. They have some amazing encounters with big bears and even some colour phases.
FIND THE CITR SCHEDULE
HERE
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BEAR FACTORY
Airing January 6, 2019 ON CITYTV
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By Sarah Taylor | theblaze.com | December 26, 2018
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Hempstead, New York, children participated in a toy gun buyback program this Christmas because local officials believe that it's important to even take "dangerous" toy guns out of the hands of children.
What are the details?
Officials encouraged children who received toy guns for Christmas to bring the toys into a local park to swap them out for other, clearly less dangerous toys.
Hempstead Village Trustee LaMont Jackson told WABC-TV that Hempstead officials don't want children "playing with guns."
"The purpose is to offer safe alternatives to toy guns," Jackson explained. "We don't want the kids playing with guns. Guns are dangerous."
Hempstead Village Mayor Don Ryan echoed Jackson's sentiments to the station.
"Saying no to guns is important," Ryan stressed. "Even toy guns."
Hempstead Village Police Department Lt. Derek Warner told the station that parents could be putting their kids' lives at risk by gifting them toy guns for the holidays.
Warner added that police officers can often mistake toy weapons for real ones.
"Toy guns can be a dangerous item to give your children," Warner explained.
Sean Acosta, a former New York Police Department officer who purchased the toys, reportedly told children earlier in December that he wants "to make sure when you grow up, nothing happens to you."
The buyback program began in 2015, according to a report in the Washington Times, and was designed to keep toy guns off the streets — specifically because of shootings related to children in the Hempstead area.
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Washington bans anyone under 21 from buying "assault rifles" (sic)
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By The Associated Press | beta.canada.com | January 1, 2019
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SEATTLE — Washington on Tuesday joined a handful of other states that ban anyone under 21 from buying a semi-automatic assault rifle after voters passed a sweeping firearms measure in November that has drawn a court challenge from gun-rights advocates.
The ballot initiative seeks to curb gun violence by toughening background checks for people buying assault rifles, increasing the age limit to buy those firearms and requiring the safe storage of all guns. Only the age-limit portion of the measure goes into effect on Jan. 1; the rest becomes law on July 1.
Kristen Ellingboe, a spokeswoman for the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, said the initiative was one of the most comprehensive gun-violence prevention measures to pass in the United States. It specifically targeted “semi-automatic assault rifles” in response to mass shootings across the country, she said.
“We’ve seen that assault rifles are the weapon of choice for mass shootings, and when they’re used, more people are killed and injured,” Ellingboe said.
Fifty-nine per cent of Washington voters approved Initiative 1639 in the Nov. 6 general election.
“We’ve see time and again that Washington voters want action to prevent gun violence in our state,” Ellingboe said. “They showed that again by supporting 1639 by a wide margin.”
Opponents have sued to block it.
“Starting today, young adults between the ages of 18 to 20 will have their rights to purchase semi-automatic rifles stripped away,” said Dave Workman, a spokesman for the Bellevue, Washington-based Second Amendment Foundation.
The federal lawsuit says the measure violates the Second and 14th amendments of the Constitution as well as gun sellers’ rights under the Commerce Clause. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are firearms dealers in Spokane and Vancouver, a 19-year-old competitive shooter, a 19-year-old in the Army Reserves, a 20-year-old recreational shooter, the Second Amendment Foundation and the National Rifle Association.
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he “looks forward to representing the people of the state of Washington in court against the NRA.”
“The gun lobby is trying to thwart the will of nearly 60 per cent of Washingtonian voters who supported common sense gun reform in our state,” he said in an email.
The full measure, when it goes into effect later this year, will expand the background check process to ensure that vetting for rifle purchases is the same as for buying pistols.
Now, people in Washington who buy long guns are run through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS. Background checks for handgun sales are done by local law enforcement agencies that can access NICS as well as more detailed records that might expose mental health issues or harder-to-find criminal records. And you must be 21 to purchase a pistol.
“This will update Washington state law so the requirements to purchase semi-automatic assault rifle will match handguns,” Ellingboe said.
In most states, including over the border in Idaho and Oregon, you must be 18 to buy an assault rifle. But Republican-dominant Florida passed a law after a school shooting to increase the age limit to 21.
Nikolas Cruz was 18 when he legally bought the assault rifle he used to kill 17 people at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last February.
Four other states — Hawaii, Illinois, Vermont and New York — also prohibit anyone under 21 from buying all firearms.
Workman of Second Amendment Foundation says Washington’s measure will take away firearms from law-abiding residents who can easily pass multiple background checks. It will impair public safety and embolden criminals while placing restrictions on people who already legally own semi-automatic rifles, Workman said.
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Stricter gun laws in 2019 — including California lifetime firearms ownership ban on some domestic abusers
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By Jeff Daniels | cnbc.com | December 27, 2018
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- More than a dozen new gun laws passed by California lawmakers go into effect in 2019, including a lifetime gun ownership ban for those involuntarily admitted to a mental health facility.
- Another California law requires a lifetime ban on gun ownership for some domestic violence offenders.
- In addition, there are new laws in California and several other states that raise the minimum age from 18 years old to age 21 for the purchase of long guns.
- Ohio's state legislature, meantime, could vote as early as Thursday to override a gun bill rejected by outgoing Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
More than a dozen new gun laws passed by California lawmakers go into effect in 2019, including a lifetime gun ownership ban for those involuntarily admitted to a mental health facility. There's also a bill in California to add new protections for survivors of domestic violence.
In addition, California and at least five other states (Washington, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois and Vermont) and the District of Columbia passed laws in 2018 that raised the minimum age from 18 years old to age 21 for the purchase of long guns, and many of those laws take effect Jan. 1, 2019. Many of those laws were acted on after the
Feb. 14 shooting
at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people.
At least a dozen other states already restrict ownership or possession of long guns to individuals under age 21. Federal law currently prohibits the sale of handguns from a licensed retailer to people under age 21.
Several national retailers also have moved to curb sales of certain guns to customers younger than 21, including
Dick's Sporting Goods
,
Kroger
-owned Fred Meyer superstores as well as
Walmart
. Some of those under-21 policies also restrict ammunition sales and have led to lawsuits.
California
In California,
Assembly Bill 1968
mandates a lifetime ban on the ownership of firearms for individuals if they were involuntarily admitted to a mental health facility more than once within a one-year period because they were deemed a danger to themselves or others. The individual could appeal the ban every five years. The bill becomes operative at the end of 2019.
At the same time, California
Assembly Bill 3129
puts a lifetime ban on gun ownership or possession for individuals convicted on or after Jan. 1, 2019, of a misdemeanor domestic violence offense or for battery on a spouse, cohabitant or person the defendant currently or previously dated or engaged in a relationship. Current state law requires a
10-year ban
on possessing a firearm or ammunition for those convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
"A big trend you're seeing now isn't just getting laws on the books, but ensuring that there is funding attached to actually be able to implement the law," said Kyleanne Hunter, vice president of programs at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. She said a case in point is California's laws involving gun violence restraining orders.
Hunter said she expects more gun legislation to be proposed at a federal level in 2019 since there will be "a pro-gun violence prevention Congress. You'll see early on an introduction of a background check bill that will close the loopholes and hopefully expand the definition of prohibited purchases to include" abusers who victimize nonspouse partners.
Gun taxes
California already is known for having
one of the toughest
sets of gun laws in the nation. On the first day to introduce bills for the 2019-20 legislative session,
Assembly Bill 18
was proposed to place a new excise tax on gun sales and use the money to fund violence intervention and prevention activities.
Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who takes office Jan. 7,
vowed last month to "raise the bar"
on California's gun control laws after the
Nov. 7 mass shooting
at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks in which 12 people were killed and the suspect also died. Newsom also has said he will take a second look at some bills that current Democratic Gov.
Jerry Brown
vetoed.
In September,
Brown vetoed Assembly Bill 2888
, a bill that would have expanded the list of people who can get a gun violence restraining order to co-workers and employers as well as teachers.
"We have no doubt that the anti-gun governor, Gavin Newsom, will aggressively pursue legislation to further infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens in the state of California," said Larry Keane, senior vice president and general counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a pro-gun lobbying group based in Connecticut.
Keane contends that anti-gun legislation from California have not reduced crime in the Golden State. The
Brady group counters
that the state's gun laws save lives.
Oregon and Washington
In Oregon, the state's so-called intimate partner loophole or boyfriend loophole bill —
House Bill 4145
— goes into effect Jan. 1 and bans the ownership or purchase of guns by domestic abuse offenders or people under restraining orders. At least 29 other states have similar laws that put curbs on the ownership or purchase of guns for convicted domestic abusers or stalkers.
Meantime, in Washington state voters passed ballot
Initiative 1639
in November, which sets into motion several new gun regulations, including raising the legal age to buy semi-automatic assault rifles from 18 years old to 21. It also requires the purchaser to provide proof they completed firearms safety training.
In addition, at least a dozen other states already restrict ownership or possession of long guns to individuals under age 21.
Federal law already prohibits
the sale or transfer of pistols by a federal firearms licensee to people under age 21; the law doesn't apply to shotguns or rifles.
Also, other changes under the voter-approved initiative include enhanced background checks, waiting periods and increases secure gun storage for all guns to prevent them from getting in the hands of children. Washington's law raising the age to buy a semi-automatic assault rifle takes effect Jan. 1, 2019, while the other new rules in Initiative 1639 take effect July 1, 2019.
Illinois and Florida
In Illinois, a new law goes into effect next year that allows authorities to seize guns from someone determined to be a danger to themselves or others.
House Bill 2354
was signed in July by Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican who was ousted last month by Democrat J.B. Pritzker. At least seven other states passed similar so-called red flag laws this year.
Also, another gun law passed by Illinois this year extends the 72-hour cooling-off period for the purchase of all firearms. Similarly, Florida state lawmakers responded to mounting pressure to act on gun control after the Parkland massacre by passing a three-day waiting period on most firearms purchases and outlawing
bump stocks
, which can make semi-automatic rifles fire faster.
New Jersey and Ohio
New Jersey's new law banning gun magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition went into effect Dec. 10. A
judge upheld the law
after a challenge from affiliates of the National Rifle Association. At least seven other states have passed similar laws along with several cities and the District of Columbia.
Finally, the Ohio state legislature could vote as early as Thursday when it reconvenes to consider overriding a gun bill rejected this month by Republican Ohio Gov.
John Kasich
. The bill would expand gun-owner rights and was blasted as "baffling and unconscionable" by the outgoing governor.
House Bill 228
would expand the ability of individuals or groups impacted by local firearm regulation to sue for damages. Among other provisions, it would shift the burden of proof on self-defense cases involving firearms to prosecutors from defendants.
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Private gun ownership in Kenya outpaces police and military
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By Zein Basravi | aljazeera.com | December 29, 2018
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The government of Kenya is encouraging unlicensed gun owners to turn in their weapons, but previous efforts have failed because guns have become a way of life.
The government has announced a 90-day moratorium on prosecuting illegal gun owners, hoping to encourage Kenyans to turn in their firearms.
But whether in the slums of Nairobi or in rural areas where government presence and security forces are lacking, many Kenyans might not welcome the weapons, but feel they are necessary as a way to defend themselves because no one else will.
See the story and video
HERE
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Brazil gun laws: Bolsonaro vows to loosen ownership rules
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By the bbc.com | December 29, 2018
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Brazil's incoming far-right president has said he will seek to issue a decree loosening the country's gun laws.
Jair Bolsonaro, who takes over on 1 January, had made the pledge a key part of his presidential campaign.
Brazil currently has strict gun ownership laws, requiring any prospective owners to undergo psychological tests.
But Mr Bolsonaro has said more guns would allow "good people" in Brazil help combat violent crime.
What are Brazil's current gun laws?
In response to Brazil having one of the world's highest murder rates, the Senate passed the Disarmament Statute in 2003.
Under the statute, which stands to this day:
- only strictly defined groups of people, including police and security officials are able to obtain a gun licence
- anyone using a gun without a licence could face four years in jail
- proof of residence, employment, technical and psychological capacity are needed to get a licence.
In the first year after the statue was introduced, the murder rate in Brazil dropped by 8%. In the same time, about 500,000 guns were seized by police under a buy-back scheme.
How bad is the murder rate in Brazil?
Since that drop, murder rates have started to climb again.
According to the World Bank, Brazil has the eighth highest murder rate in the world, behind countries such as El Salvador and Jamaica.
The Brazilian Public Security Forum, which collects and analyses crime data from state and federal government,
there were 63,880 homicides in Brazil last year
(equivalent to 175 a day) - an increase of 2.9% on the previous year.
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A number of factors have been identified, including Brazil's role as a hub in the international cocaine trade, and dwindling police resources.
Impoverished parts of north-east Brazil in particular has seen a large increase in recent years. Over the past decade the murder rate in Rio Grande do Norte state has soared by more than 250%, according to the government-affiliated IPEA research body.
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Between 2016 and 2017, there was also a significant jump in the number of people killed by police in Brazil - up 20% to 5,144.
What has Bolsonaro promised?
Security became one of the key themes of the presidential campaign, which Mr Bolsonaro won in October with 55.2% of the vote.
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During his campaign, he would often make the case for more people owning guns, adding that gangs had continued to obtain guns despite strict legislation.
"Every honest citizen, man or woman, if they want to have a weapon in their homes - depending on certain criteria - should be able to have one," he said.
Mr Bolsonaro, a former paratrooper, is an avid supporter of America's National Rifle Association, and the door of his campaign office was emblazoned with the slogan: "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."
Reuters reports that shares in Brazilian gun maker Taurus Armas SA climbed by about 88% year-on-year amid expectation gun rights would be relaxed.
A poll last August found that 58% of Brazilians believed that restrictions should continue on gun ownership. But any decree Mr Bolsonaro puts before Congress is likely to pass with a majority.
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Police struggle to stop flood of firearms into UK
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By Vikram Dodd | theguardian.com | December 27, 2018
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Senior officer warns supply of guns has increased in the past year and will continue to do so in 2019
Police
and border officials are struggling to stop a rising supply of illegal firearms being smuggled into Britain, a senior police chief has warned.
Chief constable Andy Cooke, the national police lead for serious and organised crime, said law enforcement had seen an increased supply of guns over the past year, and feared that it would continue in 2019.
The Guardian has learned that the situation is so serious that the National
Crime
Agency has taken the rare step of using its legal powers to direct every single police force to step up the fight against illegal guns.
The NCA has used tasking powers to direct greater intelligence about firearms to be gathered by all 43 forces in England and Wales.
Another senior law enforcement official said that “new and clean” weapons were now being used in the majority of shootings, as opposed to guns once being so difficult to obtain that they would be “rented out” to be used in multiple crimes.
Cooke, the Merseyside chief constable, told the Guardian: “We in law enforcement expect the rise in new firearms to continue. We are doing all we can. We are not in a position to stop it anytime soon.
“Law enforcement is more joined up now than before, but the scale of the problem is such that despite a number of excellent firearms seizures, I expect the rise in supply to be a continuing issue.”
The increasing supply of guns is a result of problems with UK border security and innovations by organised crime gangs. Smugglers have increasingly found new ways and innovative routes to get guns past border defences.
Cooke said more are coming in from eastern Europe and the western Balkans and also component pieces are being smuggled in via the fast parcel system, hidden among a growth in packages because of the explosion of internet shopping.
Guns are being bought on the dark web and the UK is also seeing weapons designed for sports shooting being smuggled in, as well as blank firing weapons bought for just £100 being converted in the UK. Criminals have also obtained high end automatic weapons such as an AK47.
Cooke said that the dynamics of the streets of British cities had changed and that criminals were more willing to use guns: “If they bring them in people will buy them. It’s a kudos thing for organised criminals.”
He said said one factor was a reduction in police proactive work because of government budget cuts leading to big falls in officer numbers: “The ability of law enforcement to respond to this rise in the criminal use of firearms has been hampered by the large reduction in police officers and the resultant diminishing of proactive capability to keep these criminals on the back foot.”
Simon Brough, head of firearms at the NCA, said: “The majority of guns being used are new, clean firearms ... which indicates a relatively fluid supply.”
He said shotguns were 40% of the total, with an increase in burglaries to try and steal them. Handguns are the next biggest category, most often smuggled in from overseas, with ferry ports such as Dover being a popular entry point into the UK for organised crime groups: “We’re doing a lot to fight back against it,” Brough said, adding that compared to other European countries, the availability in the UK was relatively low.
Gun crime has been rising and the last set of official figures about recorded firearms offences, showing a 5% fall to 6,362 in the year ending June 2018, is seen as a blip against a trend of rising gun offences. Statistics released earlier in 2018 had shown gun crime up 11% in 2017/18, and in the same period, the
Metropolitan police
said discharges of lethal barrelled firearms rose by 23%. Compared to 2015/16, there has been a 67% increase in the capital alone.
Some in law enforcement tackling serious and organised crime believe more attention needs to be paid to that type of criminality, instead of just the intense focus on the terrorist threat.
Cooke said: “The two greatest national security threats are terrorism and serious and organised crime. Nationally, we need to ensure serious and organised crime gets the same funding as the terrorist threat. More people die after getting shot by serious and organised criminals than by terrorists.”
Counter-terrorism sources tell the Guardian that the most likely route for terrorists in the UK to get guns will be from criminals, not by specifically importing them. In a 2016 case, a group of Isis-inspired terrorists led by
Tarik Hassane
, dubbed “the surgeon”, got a firearm from criminal contacts as part of a plot to stage drive by shootings.
The growing supply of guns in the UK, rising year on year according to intelligence reports, alarms those trying to stop a Paris-style marauding gun attack in the UK. They fear the more firearms are available, the easier it will be for terrorists to get them from criminals.
Cooke said: “If organised criminals have these guns, it’s not a big leap of faith that they will deal them to terrorists.”
• This article was amended on 30 December 2018 to remove an incorrect usage of the word “belie” and remove an error in the picture caption.
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Meghan the animal lover puts her hatred of bloodsports aside as she joins royals - including Kate as relations thaw further - for Boxing Day shooting feast
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By Rebecca English | dailymail.co.uk | December 26, 2018
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The
Duchess of Sussex
joined
Prince Harry
and members of the
Royal Family
for a traditional shooting lunch yesterday, despite claims that she opposes bloodsports.
Meghan, 37, who is expecting her first child in spring, arrived for the 'cold cuts' Boxing Day feast after her husband, Prince Harry, had spent the morning bagging pheasants with his father,
Prince Charles
, and brother,
Prince William
.
She was accompanied by the
Duchess of Cambridge
in another sign of solidarity between the two women after weeks of reports about their undoubtably awkward relationship.
The merry party took place at Wood Farm, the five-bedroom farmhouse where Prince Philip spends much of his retirement.
A Sandringham insider said : 'The men went out as usual for the shoot after a hearty breakfast.
'A buffet is laid out of kedgeree, bacon and eggs, cereals and toast to set them up for the day.
'It's cold trudging across the muddy fields so you need plenty of sustenance.'
In years gone by the Queen and the royal wives would often be seen following along, picking up pheasants, partridges and the occasional duck.
Her Majesty was often photographed wringing the neck of injured birds, much to the annoyance of animal welfare groups, but at 92, those days have long gone.
Pregnant Meghan stayed inside in the cold during the morning session, while Kate remained at Anmer Hall, her ten-bedroom house on the estate, looking after her three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.
But at lunchtime the Merry Wives of Windsor were all driven to Wood Farm to be reunited- Meghan travelled in a Range Rover with the Queen and Prince Philip, 97, who missed church on Christmas Day.
A buffet was laid out at Wood Farm of cold meats, hot sausages, soup and salads, with spirits and tea to warm up the shooters, which this year also included Prince Andrew and, for the first time, his son-in-law Jack Brooksbank.
Princess Eugenie joined her new husband and the others for lunch.
The insider said : 'There is a special de-robing room on the side of the house and they all go in there and take off their muddy clothes and boots.
'Then they go into a side room which is specially designed for shooting parties where they toddle around in their socks helping themselves to lunch.
'The whole thing is incredibly relaxed and everyone is normally in a great mood.
'Although he can't shoot anymore Prince Philip loves being there and so does the Queen.
'She will be delighted that Kate and Meghan have sorted out their problems and that the year has ended on a high with the whole family in harmony.'
After lunch the men continued shooting while Meghan and Kate returned to Sandringham for tea with the Queen and Prince Philip.
It's believed Harry and Meghan departed from Norfolk last night, presumably to spend time with her mother, Doria Ragland, as did William and Kate, who are expected to spend some time with Kate's family in Berkshire.
Earlier this month it was wrongly claimed that the animal-loving American had 'banned' her new husband from taking part in bloodsports, which she has always opposed.
But as the Mail revealed yesterday, Harry had every intention of taking part.
Harry has been shooting at Sandringham since he was 12 having been taught by Prince Charles as a young child and has become a crack shot, killing deer, wild boar and even a water buffalo, as well as pheasant and grouse.
The idea that Meghan had banned him from taking part stemmed from the fact that the former actress, who once designed a pair of 'vegan leather' trousers as part of a clothing range, has previously described herself as a 'principled animal lover' who refuses to promote fur and once described herself in an interview as being a vegan during the week.
But sources close to the couple have said this couldn't be further from the truth, and pointed out that even if the duchess, who adopted two dogs from a welfare shelter in Canada, did advocate wearing ethically-made clothes, for example, she has always openly eaten meat.
Her former lifestyle blog, the Tig, was full of recipes for her favourite meat-based meals, including boar ragu, and Harry proposed as they cooked a roast chicken dinner.
'Meghan has never had an issue with Harry shooting, as it is something he has done for many years,' the source said.
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