A majority of the guns the Toronto Police Service (TPS) seized this year were illegally smuggled in from the U.S.
According to the National Post, of the 116 firearms that TPS seized and posted to the Twitter page @TPSGunsSeized, 84 of the guns were prohibited – weapons that are illegal to buy, sell or be in possession of in Canada. Twenty of the firearms were restricted, and eleven of the firearms were non-restricted.
The firearms posted to @TPSGunsSeized do not represent all of the guns that TPS has seized, though inferences can be made about the types of firearms being used in gun crime across Toronto.
Looking at last year’s data, of the 138 guns TPS seized in 2021 between January and August, 98 of the firearms were prohibited.
The volume of weapons used in crimes that are illegally brought to Canada from the U.S. calls into question the efficacy of PM Justin Trudeau’s forceful gun control measures adopted in recent years.
The Trudeau government has temporarily paused the legal importation of handguns without parliamentary approval in an effort to reduce gun crime and “cap the market” on handguns.
Not only were the vast majority of gun crimes committed with illegally imported firearms, but many of these firearms were also equipped with illegal modifications that make the weapon more dangerous and are generally not available to the public.
The most frequently seized gun by TPS is the Glock, a semi-automatic handgun that can be equipped with a switch on the back of the gun, illegally converting the firearm into a fully-automatic machine gun. Eight of the Glocks TPS seized were equipped with these switches.
One firearm bust shows TPS seized two prohibited semi-automatic handguns along with an illegal 50-round drum magazine.
The Trudeau Liberals are attempting to pass legislation to further restrict the Canadian firearms market with the tabled Bill C-21.
C-21 seeks to allow the police to seize a person’s firearms at the behest of someone asking a judge to issue an emergency order (red flag laws), effectively ban the sale of handguns and more.
C-21 has passed the second reading and is set for committee consideration once the House of Commons reconvenes.
