Admin
Over the past six months, there have been more than 33 shooting incidents in the north and east of Montreal. Many people have lost their lives or been seriously injured in these incidents. Many victims refuse to cooperate, and many suspects have not been apprehended. The majority of people involved in these incidents are young adults and teenagers; just last week, a 15-year-old girl with no connection to crime was shot dead.
Calls have been made to increase police presence, crack down on the illegal gun trade and ban handguns across Canada.
There were also calls for a much broader approach to preventing violence, drugs and crime, by investing in communities, youth programs, healthcare and the social safety net. We need to offer opportunities to people who are struggling to pay their bills. When opportunities and resources are insufficient, people feel the need to turn to the streets to earn a living.
Many politicians have called for an increased police presence in the affected areas and I can understand why they do; it's easy, both politically and logistically, to increase police budgets in such circumstances. It's extremely easy to take a pro-police stance while neglecting the bigger picture. The reality is that there is already a very heavy police presence in the affected neighborhoods, combined with underfunded community organizations and a lack of opportunities. The current approach is clearly failing as violence escalates.
We have invested far too much in policing and too little in communities, prevention and our social safety net. The police were never designed to tackle the roots of gun violence. Relying on the police alone to solve these societal problems is an ineffective and self-defeating strategy that will only exacerbate the problem.
While I strongly support the banning of all handguns in Canada and the allocation of more police resources to the illegal gun trade, these measures are only a small piece of the puzzle; increasing economic equality, opportunity and resources for affected communities will be far more effective if we are to put an end to violence.
In solidarity,
Alex Tyrrell Leader of the Quebec Green Party
