Canada: "Tougher gun control sought by mayor, chief"

[cuchulainn]

from Inside Toronto

http://www.insidetoronto.ca/to/etobicoke/story/865725p-1028429c.html

Tougher gun control sought by mayor, chief

TAMARA SHEPHARD More from this author
Feb. 2, 2003

Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman is asking Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino to increase the volume on a growing chorus seeking stiffer penalties for gun-related crimes.
Lastman requested the chief file a report citing specific recommendations to toughen gun laws before the March 27 meeting of the Toronto Police Services Board.

That report is intended to then be approved by the board and forwarded to the federal minister of justice as cause to amend the Canadian Criminal Code to provide for stronger penalties for gun-related crime.

Recommendations contained within Fantino's report will also be forwarded to Attorney General of Ontario David Young to improve administration of legislation related to firearms.

"Let's stop these damn gun criminals as fast as we can," Lastman said at a meeting of the Toronto Police Services Board Thursday. "I want people to be terrified of the consequences if they use a gun. If it only saves one life, it's worth it.

"There should be mandatory sentencing for people who commit crimes with guns."

Lastman cited Florida legislation known as "10-20-LIFE", as an example of tough gun control laws:

- A person convicted of use of a firearm in the commission of a serious crime receives an automatic 10-year minimum sentence;

- If a person is convicted of discharging a firearm in the commission of a serious offence, the sentence increases to a minimum 20 years;

- A person convicted of discharging a firearm while committing a serious crime that results in serious bodily harm or death receives a sentence of no less than 25 years and not more than 'life'.

Fantino said he hoped "more significant attention will be paid to gun laws and crime" now that Young is looking at establishing a gun court in Toronto.

However, historically the federal government has been reluctant to increase penalties and enact minimum sentences, he said. The chief hoped the report would spark government action - like the recent move on child pornography.

"We've raised a concern about the whole issue of child pornography. We were able to get enough attention to the issue that is has received a response from government - they intend to look at a national strategy. We've been saying these things for years.

"We've been saying the same things about guns and sentencing and violent crime."


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[SDC]

Lastman has had his head up his *ss for quite some time now; if he bothered to read the Criminal Code, he's know that there's a 4-year mandatory minimum for committing a crime with a gun in Canada now. (Of course, I doubt we'll ever see anyone sentenced on that; the previous section allowed for up to a 14-year sentence for the same thing, but the Liberals replaced it with a "mandatory" 4-year sentence when they passed C-68, the universal registration law.)

 

[Lord Grey Boots]

The crown attorney's will simply drop all firearm related charges. They don't want the sentences to be "too long".

The 2 scumbags that kidnapped and executed my cousin in the BC interior a few years ago MUST HAVE BROKE at least 17 offenses of the gun control act, punishable by up to 55 years in prison.

All firearm related charges were dropped because they would make the prison time too long. They got life=25 years, which means they get out in 14 years or so.