O.F.A.H. supports Attorney General’s proposal to increase penalties for illegal use of guns

O.F.A.H. supports Attorney General’s proposal to increase penalties for illegal use of guns

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.) applauds the recent proposal by Ontario Attorney General Michael Bryant to increase the mandatory penalties for the illegal use of firearms.

“The O.F.A.H. has previously suggested to the federal government that they should implement stiffer mandatory sentences for the illegal use of firearms, particularly if they are used in the commission of a crime,” said Mike Reader, O.F.A.H. Executive Director. “The Attorney General’s position of ‘zero tolerance’ when it comes to illegal firearms is one we share, as is his opposition to the current one year mandatory penalty. The O.F.A.H. believes that by introducing severe mandatory penalties for the illegal use of a firearm; providing funding to increase the number of police officers on the street, increasing border inspection and security and not accepting plea bargains in cases where illegal firearms are involved, we can help to reduce the amount of gun violence on our streets and in our communities.”

Mr. Reader noted however that the Attorney General’s suggestion that a regulation be developed to require ballistics identification for all firearms is confusing, given that ballistics pertain to the study of motion and flight of projectiles. “What the Minister seems to be describing sounds eerily similar to the firearms registry which already exists and has proven to be a resounding failure in terms of stopping the use of illegal firearms to commit crimes. Manufacturers already stamp serial numbers and other information on firearms, which can be used to trace them back to their point of origin. Adding another set of markings, or developing another type of registry doesn’t address the problem. However, any in increase in the length of mandatory sentences that occurs in response to Mr. Bryant’s initiative is a step in the right direction.”

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