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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