Question Period Note: Government Measures to Combat Gang Violence

The Government of Canada commitments to combat gun and gang violence and to counter the social conditions that lead to criminality.

• Gang activity and violence harms our communities and individuals.

• Reducing gang violence on our streets and in our communities must focus on addressing the social conditions that can lead to criminality.

• We will create safer communities by giving young people the opportunities and resources they need to avoid becoming involved in criminality by providing $250 million over five years directly to municipalities and Indigenous communities to support youth programming.

• This is in addition to our government’s previous investments of $358.8 million since 2018 in support of the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence. More than $214 million over five years is being directed to provincial and territorial partners to combat gun and gang violence under the Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund, and over $8 million is being provided to support Indigenous communities under the Youth Gang Prevention Fund.

• In addition, $32.1 million is allocated to the RCMP and $92.9 million to the CBSA to support law enforcement efforts to combat gun and gang violence.

• Public Safety is also demonstrating federal leadership through supporting improved data gathering and research around gun and gang violence.

Over the past year, public shootings are increasingly happening in Canada’s larger municipalities. In 2021, Lower Mainland shootings have involved potential mistaken identities, and retaliatory shootings deaths in public, high traffic areas. Child and youth victims continue to be caught in the crossfire in places such as playgrounds, downtown streets, strip malls and housing complexes. Mistaken identity injuries and homicides, as well as shootings targeting community youth workers, have become more visible over the past three years.

Firearms-related homicide doubled from 2013 to 2017 (134 to 267), fell slightly in 2018 (249), and increased again in 2019 (261) and 2020 (277). Shootings are now the most common method of homicide. According to police, gang violence accounted for approximately 51% of firearms-related homicides in 2018 and 53% in 2019. The 2020 rate is not yet available (Stats Can).

2020 Fall Economic Statement Funding - $250M to Communities to Support Community-based Prevention and Intervention Programming

In the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the Government committed to providing $250 million over five years, beginning in 2021-22, for municipalities and Indigenous communities to support community based prevention and intervention programs to reduce gun and gang violence. This funding is in addition to, and will complement, the work that is currently underway under the Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence (ITAAGGV).

The $250 million will be provided directly to municipalities and Indigenous communities, including self-governing Indigenous communities. Communities are best placed to determine the solutions to suit their unique needs and this funding seeks to initiate momentum and complement existing programing to create lasting generational change in the gang landscape in Canada.

[Redacted]. Furthermore, the timeline for funding delivery is ambitious and the program may not meet the notional Fall Economic Statement timeline. PS will commence early engagement with the provinces and territories (P/T) and larger municipalities to discuss the implementation approach. P/Ts are generally supportive of additional funding in the prevention/intervention space, however additional conversations are warranted regarding the delivery method to communities.

Initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence

Since 2018, $358.8 million over five years has been allocated for the ITAAGGV, with an anticipated $100 million ongoing subject to approval. The majority of funds are allocated to P/Ts under the Gun and Gang Violence Action Fund (GGVAF) (over $214 million) to combat gun and gang violence in communities across Canada. Partners are currently using funds to:
• Develop and deliver gun and gang violence prevention and intervention initiatives;
• Enhance law enforcement and prosecution capacity to address gun and gang violence;
• Support data gathering/reporting, and research, knowledge development and information around gun and gang violence;
• Provide training for enforcement, prevention or other professionals; and
• Support the development/refinement of strategies on gun and gang violence and the measurement of results of initiatives.

All P/Ts have signed multi-year funding agreements under the GGVAF.

These resources complement existing efforts under the National Crime Prevention Strategy through the Youth Gang Prevention Fund, which received additional $8 million over four years beginning 2019, to fund prevention and intervention activities in Indigenous communities across the country.

The Government also provided $125.0 million to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Canada Border Services Agency to enhance firearms investigations and strengthen controls at the border to prevent illegal firearms from entering the country.

2020-21 Allocation of GGVAF Funding

• Newfoundland, with a 5 year agreement signed on March 14, 2019, received $380,786 in 2020-21 and $510,062 for 2021-22, pending final reporting for 2020-21.
• Prince Edward Island, with a 3 year agreement signed on March 30, 2021, received $387,316 for 2020-21 and $518,810 for 2021-22, pending final reporting for 2020-21.
• Nova Scotia, with a 5 year agreement signed on March 6, 2019, received $977,051 in 2020-21 and $1,308,757 in 2021-22.
• New Brunswick, with a 5 year agreement signed on March 16, 2019, received $559,577 in 2020-21 and $749,552 in 2021-22.
• Quebec, with a 4 year agreement signed on November 6, 2019, received $9,635,901 in 2020-21 and $12,907,266 in 2021-22.
• Ontario, with a 5 year agreement signed on February 14, 2019, received $13,533,928 in 2020-21 and $18,128,664 for 2021-22, pending final reporting for 2020-21.
• Manitoba, with a 5 year agreement signed on March 21, 2019, with $2,756,304 for 2020-21 and $3,692,063 for 2021-22, pending final reporting for 2020-21.
• Saskatchewan, with a 5 year agreement signed on March 1, 2019, received $2,456,764 in 2020-21 and $3,290,830 in 2021-22.
• Alberta, with a 5 year agreement signed on March 15, 2020, received $6,166,714 in 2020-21 and $8,260,298 for 2021-22 is being processed.
• British Columbia, with a 5 year agreement signed on January 21, 2019, received $6,304,591 in 2020-21 and $8,444,985 in 2021-22.
• Yukon, with a 5 year agreement signed on December 21, 2018, received $464,780 in 2020-21 and $622,572 in 2021-22.
• The Northwest Territories, with a 5 year agreement signed on March 19, 2019, received $464,780 in 2020-21 and $622,572 for 2021-22, pending final reporting for 2020-21.
• Nunavut, with a 5 year agreement signed on February 21, 2019, received $464,780 in 2020-21 and $622,572 in 2021-22.

The P/Ts complete an Annual Performance Report for the GGVAF. The second annual performance report for this program was completed in June 2021 and covers the 2020-2021 results. Early analysis of the data shows that since the inception of the GGVAF program, P/Ts have indicated a positive effect on their ability to address Gun and Gang violence within their respective jurisdictions. Moreover:

• 100% of P/Ts indicated that GGVAF funding has enabled them to better respond to gun and gang violence in their jurisdiction;
• 50% of P/Ts developed knowledge-based products;
• 42% of P/Ts integrated knowledge from funded initiatives into their practice or decision making; and
• 75% of P/Ts provided new resources dedicated to guns and gangs. Of the 75%, 50% hired law enforcement officers, 33% hired prosecutors and 33% hired data improvement specialists.

The main objective of the GGVAF is to provide funding to six (6) key areas including intervention programming, training, action-oriented research, prosecution activities, improvement of data, and law enforcement efforts. $44.6 M has been distributed to date to the P/Ts and redirected towards to the following five (5) key areas as follows:

• Intervention Programming: $6,761,139
• Training: $2,115,994
• Action-oriented research: $2,485,679
• Prosecution activities: $6,689,296
• Improvement of data: $5,159,775

The remainder has been directed to law enforcement efforts; there were 93 police service personnel hired compared to the expected 51 in 2020-21. There were also 19 of the expected 27 prosecutors hired and 5 of the 7 data improvement specialists hired. Overall, there were 117 personnel hired of the expected 85 in 2020-21.

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