Home Newsroom 2005 News releases Government of Canada’s response to combat gun violence

Backgrounder: Government of Canada’s response to combat gun violence

Addressing the root causes of crime

The Government of Canada is committed to a public safety agenda that focuses as much on preventive measures as it does on reactive ones. This balanced approach has been fashioned to reduce crime over the long term by tackling crime not only after it happens, but before it occurs.

The National Crime Prevention Strategy was launched in 1998. It is built on the principle that the surest way to reduce crime is to focus on the factors that put individuals at risk -- factors such as family violence, school problems and drug abuse. The Strategy provides tools, knowledge and support for communities to deal proactively with the root causes of crime.

The National Crime Prevention Strategy is administered through the National Crime Prevention Centre, which is a part of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada. In February 2005, the Government of Canada announced an additional $90 million over three years to renew the Strategy as a key measure to protect Canadians from crime and victimization. This additional funding has brought the total allocation for the National Crime Prevention Strategy to $62 million per year.

The link between guns and gangs

Studies also show that the proportion of homicides resulting from gun violence is rising in Toronto and in other major urban centers. In 2004, Statistics Canada reported 172 homicides in Canada as a result of shootings (representing 28% of total homicides), which is 11 more than in 2003 and 20 more than in 2002. 

In addition, the 2002 Canadian Police Survey on Youth Gangs indicated that in 2002, there were an estimated or reported 434 youth gangs in Canada, comprising over 7000 members. Furthermore, 57% of police respondents believed that the youth gang problem was getting worse in their jurisdiction.

Building on a strong foundation

As one of a series of initial steps to combat guns and gangs, the Government of Canada is creating a $50 million Gun Violence and Gang Prevention Fund, a fourth pillar to the National Crime Prevention Strategy, that will provide new program funding over the next five years. This will add to the current work underway to address the other three pillars of the National Crime Prevention Strategy: children and youth at risk, women and Aboriginal Peoples.

Under this new initiative -- to be administered through the National Crime Prevention Centre -- the Government of Canada will enhance existing partnerships with provinces and municipalities to find innovative solutions to gun violence and gang activities occurring across Canada. It will build on work done to date through a mix of on-the-ground programming and research initiatives.

• See also: Government of Canada cracks down on violent gun crime and gang violence (news release)