Transcript No Slide Title

Community Based Strategy for
Implementation of the Firearms Law
in Quebec:
A project sponsored by the National
Crime Prevention Centre
Coalition for Gun Control
1
Overview
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Background : Coalition,NCPC Project,
Firearms Law
Trends in Firearm Violence
The Problem
Role of Community in Solutions
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BACKGROUND
 The Coalition for Gun Control was
founded in 1990
 Supported by more than 350 org. in
Canada,100 organizations in Quebec
 Has worked to pass strong firearms
legislation and defend it
 Is now focused on implementation
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Objectives of Project
 To reduce death, injury and crime with
firearms in Quebec as well as
improving the perception of safety
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raise awareness about problem
increase engagement of citizens
increase participation
reduce fear
reduce injury, death, crime
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Approach
 to develop community based tools which
can be used to support implementation of
the firearms law in Quebec
 focus on vulnerable groups
 intervention models for
 urban contexts (English and French)
 rural contexts (French)
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Problem Identification
and Analysis
Monitoring
and Evaluation
Implementation
Analysis and
Causal Factors
Development of
Interventions
Identify, And Then, Interrupt,
The Causal Chain
We aim to break the chain as early as possible
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Potential Target Regions
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Bas Saint-Laurent
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Québec
Estrie
Montréal
Côte-Nord
Montérégie
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Process
1. Work within existing committees and structures
(eg. suicide, crime etc) and engage relevant
stakeholders
2. Define problem and opportunities
3. Identify “best practices” and develop appropriate
tools (e.g. policies, training, checklists)
4. Building cross-sectoral cooperation to develop
and implement strategies
5. Evaluate
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Deliverables (3 years)
 Background research on problem,
fact-based policies and models
 Mobilization of key stakeholders
 Assess current knowledge, attitudes,
skills
 Develop models and guidelines
 Train the trainers
 Validation and evaluation
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CANADIAN FIREARMS LEGISLATION
 Handguns are restricted weapons and
have required registration and special
permits since the 1930’s. There are 1
million handguns in Canada.
 Military weapons were banned in 1977,
1991 and 1995
 Licensing gun owners and registration of
rifles and shotguns were introduced in
1995
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Licensing
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Screening based on identifiable risks
Criminal record
Knowledge and skill with firearms
Mental health
Knowing who has guns allows
preventative measures
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Registration
 ESSENTIAL to enforce licensing (i.e.
preventing licensed individuals from giving
guns to unlicensed individuals)=
 Assists in preventative action
 Assists in law enforcement -tracing etc.
 Licensing and registration discourage casual
ownership and reinforce accountability
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Legislation is ONE tool
 To reduce the risk those who are a
danger to themselves or others will
have access to firearms
 Prohibition of firearms where the
risk is considered to outweigh the
utility
 Distinguish legal versus illegal guns
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Status of Law
Public compliance with new Firearms Act
continues to strengthen:
 2 million (95%) of owners are licensed
 7 million (90%) of guns are registered
 Since Dec.1, 1998, the notification line has received
well over 22,000 calls. This has proven to be an
excellent tool for an applicant’s spouse (or others) to
share concerns about public safety
 Police access the system 1500 times a day
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Supreme Court of Canada
“The registration provisions cannot be
severed from the rest of the Act. The
licensing provisions require everyone who
possesses a gun to be licensed; the
registration provisions require all guns to be
registered. These portions of the Firearms Act
are both tightly linked to Parliament’s goal of
promoting safety by reducing the misuse of
any and all firearms. Both portions are
integral and necessary to the operation of the
scheme.” (Supreme Court, Reference
Regarding Firearms Act (June 2000)
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Support for Gun Control
Legislation by Region
46-reg
January 2003
Total
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55
Quebec
20
58
24
50
Atlantic
Manitoba
15
47
B.C.
18
36
27
22
6
7
6
9
15
18
11
21
45
Alberta
Saskatchewan
16
69
Ontario
18
7
7
7
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Strongly support
Somewhat oppose
Somewhat support
Strongly oppose
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26
38
35
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TRENDS IN FIREARM VIOLENCE
 1991: 1444 firearm deaths in Canada
 2002: 816 firearm deaths
 Overall firearm death and injury rates
in Canada have declined
 Murders with rifles and shotguns have
plummeted
 Rates in Quebec have declined faster
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Source: Deaths Involving Firearms. Wilkins, Kathryn. Statistics Canada Health Reports, Volume 16 Number 4. June 2005
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Source: Deaths Involving Firearms. Wilkins, Kathryn. Statistics Canada Health Reports, Volume 16 Number 4. June 2005
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Year
Total firearms deaths
1991
1995
Latest
2002
Change
Number
Rate per 100,000
Homicides with firearms
1444
5.2
1125
3.8
816
2.5
2004
-43%
-52%
Number
Rate per 100,000
Homicides with rifles and
shotguns
Number
Rate per 100,000
Homicides with other guns
(handguns etc.)
Number
Rate per 100,000
Homicides without guns
271
0.97
176
0.6
172
0.54
-37%
-44%
103
0.37
61
0.21
37
0.12
-64%
-68%
168
0.6
115
0.39
135
0.42
-20%
-30%
Number
Rate per 100,000
485
1.73
412
1.39
450
1.41
-7%
-18%
Homicides of women with
firearms
1991
1995
2004
Number
85
43
32
-62%
Rate per 100,000
0.6
0.29
0.2
-67%
Number
185
152
166
-10%
Rate per 100,000
1.3
1.02
1.04
-20%
Homicides of women
without firearms
Robberies with firearms
2003
Number
8995
6692
3877
-57%
Rate per 100,000
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12
-63%
Trends in Firearm Deaths (per
100,000)
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
Québec
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Canada
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Trends in Firearm Homicide Rates
(per 100,000)
1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Québec
Canada
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Trends in Firearm Robbery Rates
(per 100,000)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Québec
Canada
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Rate of Firearm Robbery
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
Québec
1996
1997
1998
Canada
1999
2000
2001
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ROLE OF COMMUNITY GROUPS IN
IMPLEMENTATION
 Laws are words on paper
 Essentials for implementation
reside in the community
- Understanding of risks, law, interventions
- Issuing/renewing licenses
- Removing firearms from high risk situations,
individuals
- Motivation to intervene: roles and
responsibilities
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Police
Chiefs
Managers
Investigators
Frontline Officers
Specialists - outreach, community
policing, domestic violence
 Associations
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Education
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School Boards
Teachers Associations
Principals
Guidance Counsellors
Teachers
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Healthcare
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Nurses
Pediatricians
Emergency Physicians
Trauma Physicians
Suicide Prevention Experts
Psychiatrists
Public Health Associations
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Social Services
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Domestic Violence Workers
Psychologists
Social Workers
Community Organizations
Crime Prevention Groups
Offender Support Organizations
The Public
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THE PROBLEM
 Crime, fear
 Death and injury - homicide, suicide,
accidents
 Domestic violence
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Number of Firearm Deaths by Type,
Quebec, 1990-2003
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Suicides
344 304 302 292 297 279 294 291 294 259
221
205
188
166
Homicides
87
99
88
74
52
62
65
60
62
62
72
62
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28
Accidents
15
11
12
8
9
3
5
9
4
7
4
7
4
10
Undetermin
ed
14
11
14
16
5
3
3
1
2
3
9
5
3
2
Total
460 425 416 390 363 347 367 361 362 331
306
279
224
206
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Cost of firearms violence
 Firearms death and injury is estimated
to cost $6.6 billion per year in Canada
 Fear of firearms violence can affect
economic development
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Firearm death
 Public health experts view firearm
death like disease
 Firearm death has common cause
Availability and misuse of firearms
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Situation in Quebec
 Significant variations in the rates of
firearms violence and injury
 Perception of an increase is not based
on fact
 The need to raise awareness of the
risks of suicide with firearms
 Important differences between urban
and rural contexts
 Need for better control
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Problem: Access to Guns
 Firearm deaths rates linked to
availability and easy access to guns
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Misconceptions
Some misconceptions are that:
 Only criminals, gangs misuse firearms
 Problem is handguns not rifles and
shotguns
 Homicide is major cause of death with
firearms (not suicide)
 Firearms are the most common
instrument particular for males
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Regional Variations in Firearm
Death
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Ted Miller and Mark Cohen,"Costs of Gunshot and Cut/Stab Wounds in the United States,
with some Canadian Comparisons. " Accid Anal Prev 1997; 29 (3): 329-41.
Firearm Death Rates (per 100,000)
In Census Metropolitan Areas
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Crime: Risk Factors
For some types of crime: disadvantage,
inequity etc.
Insecurity (real and perceived)
Age and gender
Alcohol or substance abuse
Job loss or financial problems
Marital breakdown
Contextual
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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
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Problem: Crime Involving Firearms in
Canada
Canada: Firearms Recovered in Crime
7% 3%
Rifles and shotguns
21%
47%
Airguns, replicas, etc.
Handguns
Other
Sawed off
22%
Proportion of rifles and shotguns recovered in crime is much
higher in rural communities
Source: Smuggling work groups; Illegal Movement of Firearms (April, 1995)
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Rural Context
 Rates of death with firearms are
higher where there are more firearms
 Generally firearms are more available
in rural areas
 The culture of firearms is different
 In rural areas suicide is often
committed with firearms
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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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Opportunity Areas-Policing
 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”
 Think guns in all investigations: crime,
suicide, domestic violence
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Problem: Suicide
 20% of suicides with firearms - most
common is .22 rifle
 Quebec rates above national average (240
suicides with firearms every year)
 Males, youth and elderly at risk
 Some professions, eg. policing, have
particular firearm risk
 Regional variations
 Particular problem in rural areas
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 Links to violence - 50% domestic
murders with firearms end in suicide
 Presence of firearm is correlated with
completed suicides - lethality
 In Quebec, suicide rates with firearms
increases where rate of hunting
permits is high
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Regional Variations in Quebec
Suicide Rates
Abitibi-Té m is cam ingue
Nord-du-Qué be c
Mauricie -Ce ntre -du-Qué be c
Qué be c
Lanaudiè re
Sague nay-Lac-St-Je an
Ens e m ble du Qué be c
Monté ré gie
Laval
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Taux par 100 000 h.
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Risk Factors Are Known
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Previous suicidal behaviour
Male
Substance and alcohol abuse
Mental illness
Recent loss
Family history etc.
BUT MANY DO NOT FIT THE PROFILE
- opportunistic esp. youth
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Opportunity Areas- Suicide
 Raise awareness about risks of guns
and suicide among public and
stakeholders
 Routinely ask about access to guns
in interventions with people at risk
of suicide, and their family. Ask: Do
you have access to a gun?
 Improve reporting of risks for licensing
and continuous checking
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Problem: Domestic Violence
 1/3 of murders of women by
intimate partners in Canada with
guns - 88% long guns
 Particular problem in rural areas
 Risk factors: alcohol, financial
problems, marital breakdown,
mental illness
 For every death many threatened
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Presence of gun is a threat in itself in
conflict
Women represent a higher percentage of
victims (30%) than users (15%)
Public and stakeholders need
information about risks for women
Public and stakeholders need information
about spousal notification line to CFC
Trends in intimate partner homicide
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Domestic Violence Family Risk
Factors
 Male dominant family, lower status
employment
 Young women at risk
 Economic dependence of woman
 Isolation
 Supporting peer attitudes and
behaviors
 Lower income
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Opportunity Areas
 Raise awareness about risks of guns
and domestic violence among public
and stakeholders
 Routinely ask about access to guns
in interventions with people at risk
of being victim or perpetrator of
domestic violence
 Improve reporting of risks for licensing
and continuous checking
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Opportunity Areas- Domestic
Violence and Policing
Police must routinely query presence of
firearms on domestic violence calls
Understand options - temporary removal
versus revocation
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Problem: Firearms and Youth
 Suicide – 50 youth each year in
Quebec 1990-1999 (2000 – 16,
2001-20)
 Injury and accidental death
 Family violence – 40% of youth killed
are killed with a firearm
 Young offenders: taxing, gang
activity, arming for self-protection
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Suicide and youth – risk factors
 Predisposition - poor adjustment,
impulsivity, mental illness, substance
abuse
 Social environment – absence of
social networks, problems in the
family, sexual or physical abuse
 Events – death in the family, divorce,
failure, stress..
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Understanding Impacts:
Rate of Firearm-Related Death Among Children (<15 Years)
United States
Finland
Northern Ireland
Israel
Canada
Belgium
Norway
Austria
France
Switzerland
New Zealand
Australia
Sweden
Italy
Denmark
Scotland
England and Wales
Ireland
Spain
Taiwan
Hong Kong
Netherlands
Singapore
Japan
Kuwait
Source: Centers for Disease Control: “Rates of Homicides, Suicides and Firearm-related Death Among Children – 26 industrialized countries.” MMWR. Vol. 46 No.5. 1997.
Risk Factors :Youth Violence
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Substance Abuse
Mental Illness
Aggression and anti-social behaviour
Family violence
Adolescent nature: impulsive,
immature, imitative, desire for power
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 Of victims of violence 23% are
between 15-24 even though they
represent only 11% of the population
 There are high rates of victimization
 Victimization often engenders
violence
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Youth gangs
 Firearms play a role in threatening
violence and power
 Both real and imitation firearms are
used
 In rural areas youth primarily access
firearms which are stolen
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Youth Access to Guns
 Home is where majority of gun death
and accidents take place
 24% of Quebec homes have guns
 33% guns not safely stored
 Long guns:hunters in family
 Hand guns: illegal or restricted
weapon (ie children of police,
military)
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Replicas
 Replica firearms are often recovered
in crime
 Each year more than 50 children
under 18 are hospitalized for injuries
caused by air guns
 They are the principal cause of eye
loss among children and young adults
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Trends In Firearm Death Rates (by
age and gender)
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Suicide prevention with youth
 With suicide prevention, major
concerns relate to unintended
consequences of education programs
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Opportunity Areas- Youth
 Raise awareness about risks of guns
and youth among family and
stakeholders ie. schools, child
protection, social workers
 Routinely ask about access to guns
in interventions with youth at risk of
suicide or victims of violence
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Safe Storage
 Safe storage is essential in rural areas
 Guns must be unloaded
 They must be rendered inoperable
with a trigger lock or in a container
unless there is immediate need for
them
 Ammunition must be separate
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Transport
 Firearms must be transported
unloaded and safely stored in the
trunk of the vehicle
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Opportunity Areas: General
 Improve compliance with safe storage
 Increase awareness of risks of firearms in
home
 Motivate preventative action
 Improve reporting of risks for licensing and
continuous checking
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Implications for Law
Implications:
 Licensing to address risks
 Continuous eligibility
 Criticality of risk assessment
questions, references, spousal
notification
 Links to community information!!
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ROLE OF COMMUNITY
 Firearms are a public safety issue
 Community awareness of problem and
solutions
 Take Preventative Action - voluntary
removal of firearms; counselling; legal
interventions
 Understanding of risk factors
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Stakeholders - overview
 Parents and families: understand the
risks and take appropriate action
 Health care professionals: know the
signs, provide counseling, intervene
 Guidance counsellors and teachers:
know the signs, provide counseling,
intervene
 Police: identify risks, intervene
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 Domestic Violence Workers: safety
planning, inquiries re the presence of
guns
 Communities: report potential
problems, demand accountability
 Broad education: rational for the law,
responsibilities
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 Increase awareness of risks
 Improve police, physicians, shelter
worker, educator procedures
 Information line
 Training and education
 Performance measurement and
accountability mechanisms
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Ask a Question, Save a Life
 Do you have access to a gun?
 Does your (suicidal) son\daughter
have access to a gun?
 Does the person who threatens you
have access to a gun?
 Does the person who threatens your
mother have access to a gun?
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Best Practices
Policing and Community partnerships:
Project Trident, Metropolitan London Police
to address high crime area, Boston Gun
Project
 Aggressive publicity and outreach program
in high crime area
 Community outreach and partnerships
increase information sharing
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Best Practices
 Batshaw Family Services: screening for
firearms in domestic violence calls and for
suicidal youth in their care
 Centres de Jeunesse, Services Psycho-sociaux
are also looking at adding specific question
re:guns and conjugal violence
 Générations: Telephone help lines will question
clients in crisis re:Firearms
 Montreal Children`s Crisis Team- Screening for
firearms
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NEXT STEPS
 Suggestions and evaluation
 Examples of tools, programs
 Volunteers to help review tools,
programs
 Volunteers to promote awareness in
their organizations
 Volunteers for on-going awareness
and media efforts
 Training inside your organisation
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Discussion
 Recommendations for disseminating
information
 Know the risks and means of preventing
suicide and domestic violence and
communicating the message
 Concrete measures to encourage your
organization to 1) increase awareness 2)
change policies and practices
 Suggestions???
84