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Firearms and Community-Based Policing
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Introduction Roles Opportunity areas eg. Domestic Violence eg. Illicit Trafficking Tools Next Steps
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ROLES FOR POLICE Identify risks (eg. domestic violence, youth
violence, suicide) Take preventative action Enforcement of the law Investigations Property handling and storage Officer safety Community awareness of problem and
solutions
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Target Audiences Police Managers prioritize the issue Trainers provide appropriate support Investigators need knowledge, tools and
support Front line officers need knowledge, tools
and support Specialists eg. community policing,
youth crime, domestic violence need to integrate guns into strategies
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OPPORTUNITY AREAS increase awareness of gun problem:
data and trend analysis (fact-based decisions and interventions)
prioritization of gun problem and integration with community policing to build community “ownership”
taking preventative action - clear procedures: “when in doubt say no”
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use of tools eg. CFRS thinking “guns” in all investigations property handling and storage better support from community
partnerships (eg. risk assessment investigations)
resources and support better support from justice system
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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 1/3 of murders of women by husbands in
Canada with guns - 88% long guns 50% killers commit suicide risk factors: alcohol, financial problems,
marital breakdown, mental illness for every death many threatened major predictor of femicide is presence of
firearm three inquests (Kassonde, May, Vernon)
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Success Stories
Licensing process improves risk assessment and includes hotline
Decline in women killed with firearms 1990-2002
Increased awareness of problem and improved procedures
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NWEST Examples
In Western Canada an individual involved in divorce proceedings became upset in a courtroom and later threatened to kill those involved in the proceedings including his spouse, her lawyer and the judge. Police determined that the suspect had recently received a firearms licence and had three handguns registered to him. The investigation led to an arrest and seizure of the guns.
NWEST assisted police in Atlantic Canada when two firearms were seized during an investigation of possible child abuse. The suspect was licensed and had firearms registered. Two firearm charges were laid and a firearms prohibition order is being sought.
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Best Practices
reporting and record keeping to support licensing and revocation
procedures: determine presence of guns enforcement: charges, prohibition orders,
short term confiscation of gun and license communications: physicians, shelter
worker, community organizations awareness and access: community
engagement and support
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ILLICIT TRAFFICKING
Assessment of the problem is the starting point
“Where did they get the gun?”Need macro and micro level data Overall patterns and particular contextSources of information: tracing and
investigations
Where do the guns come from? LEGAL DIVERSION ILLEGAL
manufacturer
broker
importer/exporter
initial owner
subsequent owner
straw purchase theft falsification of documents illegal reassembly/ reactivation
illegal manufacture local, regional, national and international distribution networks
Legal Use & Illegal Use Possession Possession
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Virtually Every Illegal Firearm Begins As A Legal Firearm
Legal firearms are sometimes misused by their owners (whether civilians or state officials)
Legal firearms are stolen or illegally sold from civilians, dealers, state stockpiles
Illegal firearms are smuggled in from the other countries
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Sources of Firearms Vary in rural areas rifles and shotguns are most
often recovered in crime in large urban centres, handguns are more
often recovered more than half of handguns illegally imported
from USA guns/drugs/financial crimes interconnected
eg. Crime Involving Firearms in Canada
Source: Smuggling work groups; Illegal Movement of Firearms (April, 1995)
Canada: Firearms Recovered in Crime
47%
22%
21%
7% 3%
Rifles and shotguns
Airguns, replicas, etc.
Handguns
Other
Sawed off
Proportion of rifles and shotguns recovered in crime is much higher in rural communities
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Success Stories
The registry triggered an investigation of a large and sophisticated smuggling ring in May 2000 in Toronto. Likely destined for the illegal market, nearly 23,000 firearms and their components were seized.
(Michelle Sheppard, Toronto Star, May 3, 2000).
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A prohibited firearm was seized and the firearms registry showed that the gun was registered to a local gun collector. Search warrants were subsequently executed. Police examined close to 400 weapons in the collection, and discovered five unregistered handguns and several rifles. Charges have been laid and the case is before the courts.
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A homicide squad in Quebec had a suspect in the murder of a police officer under surveillance and subsequently arrested him and conducted a search. They seized a firearm and NWEST traced the firearm to Tennessee. The gun belonged to a truck driver who traveled extensively to Canada and usually brought several guns with him to sell in Canada.
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Best Practices: Policies
appropriate enforcement of safe storage and licensing and registration all guns traced and records kept
confiscated guns recorded and destroyed safe storage of police firearms property audit procedures cooperation with other agencies
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Best Practices: Procedures
eg. Front Line Police Investigations Where did you get the gun? Who else bought guns from your supplier? What other crime is your supplier into? does your supplier carry a gun? Is your supplier violent? Who else sells guns on the street?
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Is this gun stolen? Did you remove the serial number? Who
did? Did you cut down the gun? Who did? Can you get more guns? If given money, where would you buy
guns right now? Can you introduce a friend to a supplier?
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Best PracticesIdentify “hot spots”
eg. ATF tracing project in cooperation with Northwestern University proved that more than 50% of firearms recovered in crime originated from 0.5% of Federal Firearms Licensees
Intervention: increased regulation and enforcement closed 50% of FFLs
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Best PracticesTargeted enforcement
Previous research suggested increase in policing produces reduction in crime
eg. Pittsburg targeted high crime neighborhoods
Impact may have reduced shots fired by 34% and
gunshot injuries by 71% $1 invested, up to $5 in savings
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Best Practices: Community Engagement
Eg. Project Trident, Metropolitan London Police
aggressive publicity and outreach program (crime stoppers model) in high crime area
increased homicide clearance rate from 24%- 70%
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TOOLS
Model Policies and GuidelinesTraining - knowledge, skills, attitudes (CPFO,
NWEST, CFC)Procedures - domestic violence, illicit
trafficking, property management etc.Support - awareness of CPFO, NWEST etc.Partnerships - focal point, proceduresOutreach - integrating firearms into community
policing
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NEXT STEPS
suggestions! additional examples language issues resource materials contacts
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