Reports from Canada indicate the Canadian firearms program has failed. The Canadian lobby organisation “Justice for Gun Owners” says no convincing empirical evidence can be found that the programme has improved public safety.
Violent crime and suicide rates remain virtually unchanged despite the nearly unlimited annual budgets during the first seven years of the firearms registry. Notwithstanding an estimated CDN$2 billion cost to date, the firearms registry remains notably incomplete and has an error rate that remans embarrassingly high.
“Justice for Gun Owners” said the 1995 firearm legislation was “fundamentally flawed” based on an assumption by government it would reduce total criminal violence, not just gun violence, suicide and domestic abuse.
Total criminal violence and total suicide rates remain stubbornly stable, despite the drop in firearms-related violence.
Murder Increase
Since the registry, with its dual function of licensing owners and registering long arms, was first implemented in 1998, the total homicide rate has actually increased by 9%, while the overall rate of violent crime has decreased by 4%.
Perhaps the most striking change is that gang-related homicides have increased substantially, more than doubling between 1998 and 2005 said JGO.
Hanging
Despite the drop in firearm-related suicides, the overall suicide rate declined by just 3% since the registry began. Unfortunately, an increase in suicides by hanging has nearly cancelled out the reduction in the number of suicides involving firearms.
No persuasive link has been found between the firearms registry and any of these changes.
“Provincial hunter-safety programmes, in contrast, are more consultative, and available evidence suggests that such programs have been effective.”
As a result of its many failures, particularly its failure to reduce gang violence or stop senseless killings like those at Dawson College and Mayerthorpe, Alberta, the firearms registry has failed to win the trust of either the public or the police said Justice for Gun Owners.
Reports from Canada indicate the Canadian firearms program has failed. The Canadian lobby organisation “Justice for Gun Owners” says no convincing empirical evidence can be found that the programme has improved public safety.
Violent crime and suicide rates remain virtually unchanged despite the nearly unlimited annual budgets during the first seven years of the firearms registry. Notwithstanding an estimated CDN$2 billion cost to date, the firearms registry remains notably incomplete and has an error rate that remans embarrassingly high.
“Justice for Gun Owners” said the 1995 firearm legislation was “fundamentally flawed” based on an assumption by government it would reduce total criminal violence, not just gun violence, suicide and domestic abuse.
Total criminal violence and total suicide rates remain stubbornly stable, despite the drop in firearms-related violence.
Murder Increase
Since the registry, with its dual function of licensing owners and registering long arms, was first implemented in 1998, the total homicide rate has actually increased by 9%, while the overall rate of violent crime has decreased by 4%.
Perhaps the most striking change is that gang-related homicides have increased substantially, more than doubling between 1998 and 2005 said JGO.
Hanging
Despite the drop in firearm-related suicides, the overall suicide rate declined by just 3% since the registry began. Unfortunately, an increase in suicides by hanging has nearly cancelled out the reduction in the number of suicides involving firearms.
No persuasive link has been found between the firearms registry and any of these changes.
“Provincial hunter-safety programmes, in contrast, are more consultative, and available evidence suggests that such programs have been effective.”
As a result of its many failures, particularly its failure to reduce gang violence or stop senseless killings like those at Dawson College and Mayerthorpe, Alberta, the firearms registry has failed to win the trust of either the public or the police said Justice for Gun Owners.