While there has been a significant reduction in shootings and firearm discharges in Toronto since 2019, there is still a need for more focused efforts in high-risk areas.
Toronto Police and community agencies collaborate to address the root causes of gun violence and gang activity. Police said most of the shootings are targeted and isolated.
Nevertheless, police are working 24/7 with agencies at all levels to identify the root causes of gun violence.
The service’s Gang Prevention Task Force, part of its Engage 416 initiative and Gang Exit Program, works with youth, neighborhoods and community agencies to prevent and suppress gun violence and gang activity, police said.
Toronto Police’s larger gang prevention strategy is being expanded with Project #Engage416.
The project focuses on implementing a neighborhood-level adaptation of the five core strategies tailored to the various needs of 12 pilot neighbourhoods in Toronto.
Toronto Police is also collaborating with U.S. and Canadian law enforcement to prevent cross-border trafficking in firearms.
“We also work with our partner law enforcement agencies in Canada and the United States to interrupt the flow of guns coming over the border and to stop their trafficking within the GTA,” Toronto Police said.
Project Moneypenny was initiated by Toronto Police in March 2022, which led to the arrest of 42 people and the filing of 422 criminal charges. Also seized were illegal narcotics, cash, and 173 firearms in Canada and the United States.
The pandemic-related shutdowns and restrictions may have played a role in the recent decline of gun violence in Toronto.
Brampton criminal lawyer Gary Batasar cited the closure of public places and the pandemic as possible reasons for the decrease in gun violence over the last few years.
He said the circumstances did not provide a suitable scenario for criminal activities like drug trafficking or gang violence.
“Since the borders were closed there was lack of guns coming across the border lack of drugs coming across the border so that’s primarily the reason for the decline in gun violence,” Batasar said.
He said law enforcement policies or community initiatives are always laudable, however the shutdown of the world is probably the primary factor for the decrease.
“It’s obvious that police strategies and initiative always are geared towards the reduction of gun violence and I’m sure that some of those coupled with the pandemic had a role in that decline,” he said.
High-density population and gang activity most likely contribute to the high prevalence of gun-related incidents in 31 Division, Batasar said.
“In terms of the most shootings in 31 Division, I think the high-density population coupled with gang activity and oftentimes a cavalier attitude towards firearms is the resultant effect of the increase of the prevalence of weapons charges and shooting incidents,” he said.
Batasar said socio-economic factors should not be an excuse for the prevalence of gun-related crimes.
“In terms of ways to address socioeconomic factors, socioeconomic factors have to stop being a reason for excusing or understanding why guns are prevalent, there are a lot of poor people or people of colour in various social circumstances and they’re not committing the crime,” he said.
Batasar said there is a push for bail reform to handle repeat offenders and those who consistently violate their bail conditions, despite the seriousness of weapons charges.
“The typical sentence is for firearms offences is fairly harsh depending on the offence. There used to be minimum sentences for certain firearms offences that some of which have been ruled unconstitutional,” he said.
“Firearms offences have been treated very seriously however there is a call for bail reform which has some merit especially when dealing with repeat offenders or individuals who have breached conditions of their bail on a regular basis,” Batasar said.
The following infographic shows the data shared by Toronto Police regarding the shootings and firearm incidents, by division.