The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Halifax in no rush to ban handguns
Halifax has seen some gun play of late, but don’t expect the city to pull the trigger on a handgun ban any time soon.
The federal Liberals have said cities could ban handguns in their as-yet-unpassed Bill C-21 — the gun-control law proposed in the wake of last year’s mass killings in Nova Scotia. While British Columbia’s two largest cities have said they’d bring in a ban to curb gun violence, that kind of uptake hasn’t been obvious here.
“I think we have to look at it, but I just don’t know that we’re anywhere near a point yet where as a city we would be able to debate it until we get more information,” Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said in a recent interview.
Mental health issues and poverty are among the root causes of crime prevalent in Halifax, Savage said.
“We have a lot of work to do on the root causes of crime and we know that things like poverty and a lack of opportunity (can lead to crime) — we know that where you grow up, even where you go to school all has an impact on later criminal activity,” he said.
“We need to stop crime before it happens and stop crime before guns get in people's hands. So that's the long-term view. Then we need to look at it and see if we can prevent something in the short term; maybe we should consider it.”
Savage needs more information before determining whether a handgun ban would be helpful or harmful to public safety. “And even if it's helpful, is it something that we'd want to do?”
He questions whether a handgun ban would quell gun violence here. “A lot of them are not registered weapons,” Savage said of handguns used by criminals.
He points out that there are already strict laws around legal handgun use, transportation and storage. “If you don't follow those, that carries penalties.”
And he remembers well the backlash the former long gun registry garnered when he was a Liberal MP.
“If there (were) no guns then we would be probably safer, but then again people have certain rights to firearms,” Savage said.
Halifax South Downtown Coun. Waye Mason doesn't see any value in a handgun ban for Halifax.
“My understanding is that sport shooting is so tightly controlled a handgun ban won't make a difference in terms of access to weapons for criminals. I am not sure what it is meant to accomplish, in part because all other gun control happens nationally, not provincially and certainly not locally. I don't think this should be a municipal decision,” Mason said.
"This means we will end up with 49 different rules in 49 different municipalities and I don't think that is good public policy."
Savage wants to talk to the province before taking action on the matter.
“I see in Saskatchewan the provincial government is moving to block any municipalities from bringing in legislation on handguns,” said the mayor.
Alberta and Ontario are making the same moves.
“And I think in Quebec, they'd like it to be the opposite,” said Savage. “They'd like it to be a provincial ban.”
Savage wants to hear from police on what they think the benefits of a handgun ban might be for Halifax.
Halifax Regional Police Chief Dan Kinsella wasn't available for an interview on the matter.
“The proposed legislation has been designed to receive direct input from the communities and it's important that those discussions take place,” Halifax police said in a written statement.
“From a police perspective, through regular intel and community reporting, our dedicated guns and gangs unit as well as patrol resources continue to enforce and investigate. We will also engage with our peers across the country through Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police as well as Nova Scotia Chiefs of Police to provide input from a policing perspective, as these discussions take place.”
Coun. David Hendsbee (Preston-chezzetcook-eastern Shore) said allowing cities to ban handguns is Ottawa downloading responsibility to cities.
“If there's going to be gun control and gun regulation, it should be done by the federal and provincial governments, not by municipalities,” Hendsbee said.
Savage said he'd prefer to see the matter addressed at a national level. “It looks like whatever happens now there will be a patchwork,” said the mayor.