TORONTO – POLITICS – Erin O’Toole, Leader of the Conservative party says, “Even during a pandemic, crime doesn’t take a break. Gun and gang violence has been on the rise in communities across the country, terrorizing families and communities. Yet, rather than go after gang members and their networks, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have tried to make criminals out of farmers, hunters, and law-abiding firearms owners.”
O’Toole promises, in the party’s Canada’s Recovery Plan, that the Conservatives will focus on cracking down on gang violence and keeping guns out of the hands of criminals.
A Conservative government will bring in tougher laws and give police the resources they need to combat gang and gun violence across the country, including:
- Amending the Criminal Code to make it easier for police and prosecutors to go after gang networks and prevent the import of illegal guns.
- Partnering with the private sector on a Gang Exit Strategy to give gang members, especially young recruits, a way out and a chance to start fresh.
- Working with partner organizations across the country to develop and expand programs to keep youth out of gangs.
- Mandating the automatic surrender of firearms to law enforcement where an individual has been charged with an offence.
- Imposing a mandatory minimum sentence of two years on the unauthorized possession of a firearm if the person was the subject of a prohibition order or previously convicted of a firearms-related offence.
- Supporting the CBSA and RCMP, and working closely with American authorities in the United States, to target smuggling operations before illegal guns reach the border.
“I want our neighbourhoods – all neighbourhoods – to be vibrant, safe places to raise a family,” said O’Toole. “Only a Conservative government will take action to end gang violence and secure our streets.”
