THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY SAFETY PRESENTED TO THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY SAFETY FOR

GUNFIRE IS UNDER-REPORTED In violence affected communities, people become so desensitised to gunfire that unless someone is wounded or killed they simply don’t bother calling it in. 9 out of 10 times when a gun is fired nobody calls, which means police don’t / can’t respond because they are simply unaware of the incident. The lack of response fuels the perception that “the police don’t care”. Communities often don’t cooperate with law enforcement for fear of retribution.

NOT ALL GANGSTERS ARE SHOOTERS Only a very small portion of the criminals are habitual trigger pullers. So taking a few individuals off the street can have an exponential effect in the fight against gun crime.

A LACK OF INTELLIGENCE IS DANGEROUS Dispatching officers to an active shooting without all available intelligence is a threat to officer safety and needlessly places the public at risk. A more rapid and accurate response enables more reliable eye-witness accounts, better crime scene investigations and cleaner evidence gathering that are all crucial to a successful prosecution.

GUNFIRE SUPPRESSES ECONOMIC VITALITY Businesses move out and jobs are lost limiting employment opportunities for residents who need work. Economically productive communities are safer communities!

THE VICARIOUS VICTIM EFFECT People, particularly children, in "high-gunfire" areas are more likely to suffer from learning disabilities and psychological problems (PTSD, loss of empathy, rage, depression, anxiety, etc) Children are often prevented from going to school during flare-ups in violence reducing literacy levels and robbing them of a proper education. Gunfire becomes “normalised” perpetuating the cycle of gangsterism and violence in general. Children exposed to chronic violence often turn to gangs for a sense of belonging and protection, where the vicarious victim ultimately becomes the perpetrator. Drugs and alcohol become a coping mechanism for residents, parents and children traumatised by gun-violence. This in turn fuels domestic violence, violent behavior in general as well as the drug trade.