1 Community Based Strategy for Implementation of the Firearms Law in Quebec: A project sponsored by the National Crime Prevention Centre Coalition for Gun Control

2 Overview  Background : Coalition,NCPC Project,  Firearms Law  Trends in Firearm Violence  The Problem  Role of Community in Solutions

3 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

4 Objectives of Project  To reduce death, injury and crime with firearms in Quebec as well as improving the perception of safety raise awareness about problem increase engagement of citizens increase participation reduce fear reduce injury, death, crime

5 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)

Problem Identification and Analysis Analysis and Causal Factors Development of Interventions Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation

7 Identify, And Then, Interrupt, The Causal Chain We aim to break the chain as early as possible

8 Potential Target Regions  Bas Saint-Laurent  Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean  Québec  Estrie  Montréal  Côte-Nord  Montérégie

9 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

10 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

11 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

12 Licensing  Screening based on identifiable risks  Criminal record  Knowledge and skill with firearms  Mental health  Knowing who has guns allows preventative measures

13 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

14 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

15 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

16 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)

17 Support for Gun Control Legislation by Region January reg

18 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

19 Source: Deaths Involving Firearms. Wilkins, Kathryn. Statistics Canada Health Reports, Volume 16 Number 4. June 2005

20 Source: Deaths Involving Firearms. Wilkins, Kathryn. Statistics Canada Health Reports, Volume 16 Number 4. June 2005

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Year Latest Change Total firearms deaths 2002 Number % Rate per 100, % Homicides with firearms 2004 Number % Rate per 100, % Homicides with rifles and shotguns Number % Rate per 100, % Homicides with other guns (handguns etc.) Number % Rate per 100, % Homicides without guns Number % Rate per 100, %

Homicides of women with firearms Number % Rate per 100, % Homicides of women without firearms Number % Rate per 100, % Robberies with firearms 2003 Number % Rate per 100, %

24 Trends in Firearm Deaths (per 100,000)

25 Trends in Firearm Homicide Rates (per 100,000)

26 Trends in Firearm Robbery Rates (per 100,000)

27 Rate of Firearm Robbery

28 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

29 Police  Chiefs  Managers  Investigators  Frontline Officers  Specialists - outreach, community policing, domestic violence  Associations

30 Education  School Boards  Teachers Associations  Principals  Guidance Counsellors  Teachers

31 Healthcare  Nurses  Pediatricians  Emergency Physicians  Trauma Physicians  Suicide Prevention Experts  Psychiatrists  Public Health Associations

32 Social Services  Domestic Violence Workers  Psychologists  Social Workers  Community Organizations  Crime Prevention Groups  Offender Support Organizations  The Public

33 THE PROBLEM  Crime, fear  Death and injury - homicide, suicide, accidents  Domestic violence

34 Number of Firearm Deaths by Type, Quebec, Suicides Homicides Accidents Undetermin ed Total

35 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

36 Firearm death  Public health experts view firearm death like disease  Firearm death has common cause Availability and misuse of firearms

37 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

38 Problem: Access to Guns  Firearm deaths rates linked to availability and easy access to guns

39 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

40 Regional Variations in Firearm Death

41

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):

43 Firearm Death Rates (per 100,000) In Census Metropolitan Areas

44 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

45 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

46 Problem: Crime Involving Firearms in Canada Source: Smuggling work groups; Illegal Movement of Firearms (April, 1995) Proportion of rifles and shotguns recovered in crime is much higher in rural communities

47 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

48 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

49 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

50 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

51  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

52 Regional Variations in Quebec Suicide Rates

53 Risk Factors Are Known  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

54 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

55 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

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

57 Trends in intimate partner homicide

58 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

59 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

60 Opportunity Areas- Domestic Violence and Policing  Police must routinely query presence of firearms on domestic violence calls  Understand options - temporary removal versus revocation

61 Problem: Firearms and Youth  Suicide – 50 youth each year in Quebec (2000 – 16, )  Injury and accidental death  Family violence – 40% of youth killed are killed with a firearm  Young offenders: taxing, gang activity, arming for self-protection

62 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..

Understanding Impacts: Rate of Firearm-Related Death Among Children (<15 Years) Source: Centers for Disease Control: “Rates of Homicides, Suicides and Firearm-related Death Among Children – 26 industrialized countries.” MMWR. Vol. 46 No 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

64 Risk Factors :Youth Violence  Substance Abuse  Mental Illness  Aggression and anti-social behaviour  Family violence  Adolescent nature: impulsive, immature, imitative, desire for power

65  Of victims of violence 23% are between even though they represent only 11% of the population  There are high rates of victimization  Victimization often engenders violence

66 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

67 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)

68 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

69 Trends In Firearm Death Rates (by age and gender)

70 Suicide prevention with youth  With suicide prevention, major concerns relate to unintended consequences of education programs

71 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

72 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

73 Transport  Firearms must be transported unloaded and safely stored in the trunk of the vehicle

74 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

75 Implications for Law Implications:  Licensing to address risks  Continuous eligibility  Criticality of risk assessment questions, references, spousal notification  Links to community information!!

76 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

77 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

78  Domestic Violence Workers: safety planning, inquiries re the presence of guns  Communities: report potential problems, demand accountability  Broad education: rational for the law, responsibilities

79  Increase awareness of risks  Improve police, physicians, shelter worker, educator procedures  Information line  Training and education  Performance measurement and accountability mechanisms

80 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?

81 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

82 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

83 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

84 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???