A Literature Review on Illegal Firearms

According to the RCMP Firearms Operations and Enforcement Support, there were a total of 1,889 firearms offences in British Columbia in 2015, a decrease from 2,303 firearms offences in 2014 (RCMP Firearms Operations and Enforcement Support, 2016). This involved a wide range of offences, including robbery with a firearm, careless use of a firearm, the discharge of a firearm with intent, possession of a weapon, and unsafe storage of a firearm. In addition, 1,223 firearms were seized in the Lower Mainland District in 2015 compared to 1,363 in 2014. Using a different methodology, the Ministry of Justice for British Columbia reported a substantial decline in the number of firearms offences committed between 2005 and 2015 (Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, 2016). For example, for offences related to the use of, discharging, or pointing a firearm, there was a 47% decrease from 2005 to 2015 (Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, 2016). Similarly, there was a 40% reduction in weapon violation offences over the same time period (Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, 2016). Moreover, in 2015, the firearms crime rate in British Columbia was 6 and the weapons violations crime rate was 62 (Masek et al., 2016). By comparison, in 2015, the firearms crime rate in Quebec was three and the weapons violations crime rate was 19, while in Ontario the firearms crime rate was five and the weapons violations crime rate was 28 (Masek et al., 2016). More broadly, according to the Canadian Firearms Program, in 2015, across Canada, public service agencies seized 20,731 non-restricted firearms, 3,333 restricted firearms, and 1,513 prohibited firearms (RCMP Canadian Firearms Program, 2016). The total number of firearms seized in British Columbia in 2015 was 4,874, which was third highest after Quebec (n = 7,101) and Ontario (n = 6,453) (RCMP Canadian Firearms Program, 2016).

Download (PDF, 988KB)