Gun Amnesty Programs

Dear Premier,

The Canada Safety Council (CSC) welcomes the September 1 announcement by Attorney General Michael Bryant for plans to inspect gun stores and reclaim illegal firearms.

CSC strongly agrees that holding gun amnesty programs will get guns out of homes and off the streets.

Problems associated with easy access to firearms have been well documented. There is general consensus among police, public health and safety officials that access to guns is a major factor in gun related crime, accidents and suicides and that reducing the number of guns in any community will save lives and prevent injuries.

CSC is a strong advocate and supporter of gun amnesty programs, which have been successful in communities in reducing the number of unwanted firearms in the possession of citizens. The following information communicated to us by letter dated August 29 from Gord Mackinstosh, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Manitoba will be of interest. A gun amnesty program was held in that province during the month of June. All municipal police, RCMP, railway police and military police participated in that very successful public safety initiative. During the period 315 firearms, including 213 rifles, 66 shotguns, 36 handguns, 1480 individual rounds of ammunition, and 39 boxes of associated ammunition were turned in to police for destruction.

We strongly encourage your government to proceed with an amnesty with the participation of all police agencies across the province. We are convinced such an initiative, especially at this time, will be most successful — the end result being a reduction in the number of firearms in communities across Ontario with an accompanying reduction in the risk of crime, suicide and accidental deaths and injuries associated with their use.

You can count on the Canada Safety Council as a strong supporter and advocate for such an initiative and would be pleased to promote it.

Sincerely,

Emile-J. Therien
President, Canada Safety Council

CC: Honourable Michael Bryant, M.P.P., Attorney General, Honourable Anne McLellan, P.C., M.P., Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness; Provincial/Territorial Premiers; Canadian Association of Police Boards; Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police ; RCMP ; Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.

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