GOVERNMENT OF CANADA CAPS COSTS OF REGISTRY AND IMPROVES GUN CRIME MEASURES

EDMONTON, May 20, 2004 - The Government of Canada today announced a comprehensive package of improvements aimed at controlling Canadian Firearms Program costs and enhancing the capacity of law enforcement agencies to combat gun crime.

Funding for the Firearms Registry component of the Program will be capped at $25 million per year, starting next fiscal year. The Government of Canada proposes to establish a separate appropriation in law for the Registry starting fiscal year 2005/06 to allow Parliament to monitor and enforce this cap. The annual cost of the Firearms Registry itself is already down to $33 million from a high of $48 million in 2001/02.

The capacity of law enforcement agencies to combat gun crime and smuggling will be improved by expanding the use of new technologies for more effective crime scene investigation. Criminal intelligence capacity will be enhanced, and the RCMP's National Weapons Enforcement Support Team will receive ongoing funding in recognition of its support to police forces in communities across Canada and to international partners.

The Government will also propose key Criminal Code amendments to toughen the gun crime provisions. Criminal Code penalties to deter the possession of loaded handguns in public places will be strengthened. The Government will also increase the minimum penalties (currently one year) for weapons trafficking and possession for the purposes of trafficking. Provincial Attorneys General will be consulted on proposed Criminal Code amendments.

Recognizing that enhancements can be made to improve the Firearms Program for law-abiding citizens, the Government intends to:

• further streamline firearms licence renewal processes;
• eliminate fees for the registration and transfer of firearms; and
• continue to consult Aboriginal people about the delivery of the Firearms Program in their communities.

"The Government of Canada is committed to gun control as an important element of public safety," said the Honourable Anne McLellan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. "The cap on costs and the improvements reflect our commitment to ensuring the system is efficient and cost-effective."

"We will enhance penalties for gun-related offences - such as weapons trafficking - and ensure that those who commit serious offenses with firearms can no longer possess them," said the Honourable Irwin Cotler, Minister of Justice.

"One of the key objectives of this Government is to ensure that Canadians' tax dollars are managed wisely," said the Honourable Reg Alcock, President of the Treasury Board. "Capping the Registry's funding strengthens our commitment to fiscal responsibility and the enhancement of sound management practices."

The proposals reflect many of the comments made during a review of the Firearms Program conducted by the Honourable Albina Guarnieri, Associate Minister of National Defence and Minister of State (Civil Preparedness). The Minister consulted the provinces and territories and heard from more than 200 Canadians, including representatives of Canadian police, firearms owners, victims'rights groups, businesses, public health officials and others.

The core policies of the Firearms Program, including universal licensing of owners and registration of firearms, will be retained to continue to build on the success of the program. More than 90 per cent of firearms owners in Canada have complied with licensing requirements, with almost 2 million licensed owners to date. To ensure that guns are kept out of the hands of those who should not have them, more than 12,000 licenses have been revoked or refused.

The Firearms Information System is a successful police investigative tool. Police make more than 13,000 queries each week. Over 3 million queries have been made in total since the Program was first implemented in December 1998. About 6,000 firearms have been traced in gun-crime and firearm-trafficking cases within Canada and internationally. More than 900 affidavits are produced each year by the Canada Firearms Centre to support prosecutions of gun-related crimes across the country.

For more information, see the attached Backgrounder.

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For further information:

Farah Mohamed, Director, Communications
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
(613) 952-4902

or
Denise Rudnicki
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Justice
(613) 992-4621

or
Lise Jolicoeur
Press Attaché
Minister Alcock's Office
(613) 957-2666

or
Canada Firearms Centre
Media Enquiries
(613) 941-5371

BACKGROUNDER
CANADIAN FIREARMS PROGRAM

Gun control remains an important element of public safety. The Canadian Firearms Program is making a major contribution to gun control and the improvements announced today will build on past successes.

More than 90 per cent of firearms owners in Canada have complied with licensing requirements. There are an estimated 7.9 million firearms in Canada, 7 million of which are registered with the Canada Firearms Centre. There are almost 2 million licensed owners to date. More than 12,000 licences have been revoked or refused because of public safety concerns.

The "Firearms Registry" is that part of the Canadian Firearms Program responsible for the registration of firearms, including registration when a firearm is transferred to a new owner and registration upon import or manufacture. Police make more than 13,000 queries to the Firearms Information System each week -- over 3 million queries have been made in total since the Program was first implemented in December 1998. About 6,000 firearms have been traced in gun-crime and firearm-trafficking cases within Canada and internationally. More than 900 affidavits are produced each year by the Canada Firearms Centre to support prosecutions of gun-related crimes across the country.

The Government of Canada recognizes that more must be done to the Canadian Firearms Program to make it even more responsive to the needs of Canadians. Law enforcement can also benefit from targetted enhancements. Action is being taken in two key areas:

- controlling program costs; and

- getting tough on gun crime while ensuring respect for law-abiding citizens.

I. Controlling and Containing Costs

The costs of firearms control continue to decline at two levels: the Firearms Registry component and the overall Canadian Firearms Program.

The Firearms Registry

Firearms Registry costs have been brought under control. Annual costs for this part of the Program are now down to $33M from a high of $48M in 2001/02.

To ensure the commitment to reduce the cost of the Firearms Registry is met, the Government of Canada has announced a funding cap of $25 million per year on the costs of firearms registration, starting next fiscal year. The Government of Canada proposes to establish a separate appropriation for the Registry in law starting in fiscal year 2005/06 to allow Parliament to monitor and enforce this cap.

Measures taken recently to bring registration costs down, while improving service to Canadians have included:

• enhanced telephone answering services to reduce wait times;
• simplified registration forms;
• a change from more expensive plastic registration certificates, to paper certificates; and
• Internet registration, including new forms, application status enquiries, and on-line firearm transfers.

The Canadian Firearms Program

The Canada Firearms Centre, working with federal and provincial partners, oversees the following functions:

• the licensing of all firearm owners and businesses, to ensure that only those persons who do not pose a public safety risk can own or sell firearms or ammunition;
• continuous screening of firearm licence holders to address any possible public safety risks;
• the registration of all firearms, to reinforce owner accountability and responsibility, and provide police with important information to help prevent injuries and investigate firearm-related crimes;
• the national Canadian Firearms Safety Course, required for all new licence applicants;
• regular inspections of firearm businesses and shooting ranges, to ensure inventory controls and safety;
• import and export controls, to help track and manage the cross-border movement of firearms; and
• public education regarding safe storage, use and transport of firearms.

Costs for the Canada Firearms Centre for 2003/04 were $103 million in comparison to $200 million in 2000/01. Costs will decline a further $18 million in 2005/06 and beyond.

II. Tough on Gun Crime

Crime and the use of guns to commit crime is a serious issue which the Government of Canada is committed to addressing. Gun control remains an important component of public safety, but it must be carried out in a fair, efficient and cost-effective manner.

Support to police to fight gun crime and smuggling

The Government will enhance support to law enforcement agencies by:

• expanding the use of new technology for more effective crime scene investigation by establishing a Canadian Integrated Ballistic Identification Network (CIBIN). This will include three new ballistic information systems to be located in Halifax, Regina and Vancouver to complement existing systems in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. Intelligence derived from ballistics evidence enhances police efforts to investigate crimes involving firearms;
• providing ongoing funding to the National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST). NWEST provides investigative support to front-line police agencies in gathering evidence to assist them in successfully prosecuting persons involved in the illegal movement and criminal use of firearms. This includes firearms identification, trace referrals, law enforcement training sessions and expert witness services. NWEST also maintains a network of firearms specialists from federal, provincial and municipal police forces strategically located across Canada; and
• enhancing criminal intelligence capacity of the RCMP, the Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada, and the Canada Border Services Agency to gather and share intelligence, and augment their firearms tracing capacity.

Tougher measures for crimes involving guns

The Government will establish tougher measures when firearms are used in committing a crime by:

• strengthening certain Criminal Code penalties to deter the possession of loaded handguns in public places (with an increase in the current minimum penalty of one year);
• increasing the minimum penalty for weapons trafficking and possession for the purpose of trafficking (currently one year);
• providing that judges must give specific consideration to domestic violence in deciding whether to order a prohibition for the possession of firearms;
• expanding the application of lifetime prohibitions for the possession of all classes of firearms following conviction for specific serious offences;
• providing that the use of a firearm in the commission of an offence be included in the grounds justifying detention of an accused; and
• providing that parole will not normally be available until half the sentence is served, following conviction for specific serious offences committed with a firearm.

The Government of Canada will consult with provincial Attorneys General on proposed Criminal Code amendments.

Ensuring respect for law-abiding citizens

The ownership and use of firearms is an essential part of the Canadian economy and the culture of many communities across Canada. Firearms are used for a variety of purposes such as hunting, trapping, and sport shooting. The Government is committed to effective gun control. Licensing of firearm owners and registration of all firearms are core elements of the public safety agenda.

The recent Ministerial review, and previous consultations conducted in the fall of 2003 by the Canada Firearms Centre (CAFC), highlighted the following proposals as effective measures to streamline compliance requirements, improve service to firearm owners and address some of their longstanding concerns by:

• eliminating fees for registration and transfer of firearms to reduce costs to individual gun owners, eliminating other minor fees (related to authorizations to import), reducing fees for non-resident declarations, encouraging continued compliance in support of public safety, and supporting firearm businesses;
• expanding the Program Advisory Committee to create a Firearms Working Group to provide ongoing advice on service delivery and technical policy of the Firearms Program. The Working Group will be composed of a variety of individuals and Program clients with wide expertise in the area of firearms; and
• consulting with Aboriginal people on more effective delivery of the Firearms Program in their communities.

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