From: Subject: New Page 1 Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 09:18:33 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0013_01C87D0F.8DC79D70" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0013_01C87D0F.8DC79D70 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.towncrieronline.ca/main/main.php?rootcatid=8&direction=printstory&storyid=6576&rootsubcatid= New Page 1

Walker's=20 motion aims to have handguns banned nationally =
(Posted = Date: Wednesday,=20 February 27, 2008)

By Claudia=20 Cautillo=20



Two fatal shooting = deaths of=20 innocent bystanders last month have spurred the city to = consider=20 asking Ottawa for a ban on handguns across the country. =

St.=20 Paul=92s councillor Michael Walker says it=92s about time. =

=93When=20 people are being shot down in crossfire it=92s clear that = what we=92ve=20 been doing to now =97 hiring more police officers and trying = to get=20 more enforcement =97 isn=92t working,=94 Walker said Jan. = 30, the day the=20 Ward 22 representative asked city council to urge the = federal=20 government to prohibit sales and possession of handguns.=20

John O=92Keefe, 42, died in the early morning hours = of Jan. 12=20 when he walked into the path of a shot allegedly fired at a=20 nightclub employee on Yonge St. just south of Bloor. =

Less=20 than a week later, Hou Chang Mao, 47, was killed by a stray = bullet=20 as he stood outside the supermarket where he worked on = Gerrard St.=20 East.

The shootings brought to mind the Dec. 26, = 2006=20 killing of teenager Jane Creeba, who was caught in the = crossfire of=20 a gun battle between rival groups on Yonge St. near Dundas = St.=20

=93In my opinion, if we ban handguns in the country, = that=20 sends a statement that we condemn their possession,=94 = Walker said.=20

=93And we=92re going to punish people who are caught = having them=20 in their possession.=94

The councillor is also = asking that=20 city council support his proposal for Ottawa to institute a=20 mandatory sentence of at least five years for anyone guilty = of=20 possessing, selling or buying a handgun.

Tony = Riviere, staff=20 sergeant of 53 Division=92s community response unit, says = he=92s not=20 sure if banning handguns would be an effective way to reduce = gun=20 violence, but he thinks it is worthy of consideration.=20

=93There is no doubt that a second look has to be = taken as far=20 as our laws on handguns,=94 he said. =93There is a gun = problem in=20 Toronto, and it=92s a problem that needs to be addressed.=94 =

Riviere emphasized the issue of gun violence is = complex,=20 involving many different elements. Families, schools, and=20 communities are all implicated in youth violence, he said = and should=20 be involved in finding a solution.

=93It=92s a = multi-faceted=20 problem that entails a multi-faceted response,=94 he said. = =93The issue=20 that our young people are choosing a life of crime should be = a=20 collective concern =97 especially crime where firearms are = often=20 used.=94

Walker agrees there are many aspects to gun = crime in=20 the city, but he is steadfast on a ban that may send a = strong=20 message of gun intolerance.

=93I think there=92s no=20 justification in not dealing with this issue,=94 he said. = =93It=92s time=20 for the City of Toronto =85 to take a stand on this = issue.=94=20

Walker=92s motion will be re-examined at the next = executive=20 council meeting, in early April, where arguments will he = heard from=20 O=92Keefe=92s family and others.

While saying he is = confident=20 he=92ll get support from Mayor David Miller and Premier = Dalton=20 McGuinty, who have both endorsed a handgun ban, he also = believes=20 society in general is ready for a ban. =


This article also found in:
Fore= st=20 Hill

Posted Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Story Location: = http://www.towncrieronline.ca/main/main.php?direction=3Dviewstory&am= p;storyid=3D6576=20

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