MacDonald: Ottawa's efforts to address gun crime must emphasize prevention

A public-health approach to gun violence focuses on prevention. Although Ottawa is taking some small steps to invest in programs, the structural underlying problems that lead to another generation to pick up guns remain.

Published Jul 22, 2024 • Last updated 4 hours ago • 4 minute read

The search of a residence in Ottawa resulted in the discovery of these illegal handguns, a number of prohibited high-capacity magazines, ammunition, and a device used to convert a semi-automatic pistol to fully automatic. The illegal handguns, which were imported from the United States, were to be used for personal protection and distributed into the hands of criminal organization members in Canada. These types of firearms continue to be in high demand on the streets. Photo by Ottawa RCMP /Ottawa RCMP

At the end of June, Ottawa police reported a man was killed in a shooting on Russell Road. Yousef Salaman, 19, was identified as the victim. A week later, Adam Abdullahi Elmi, 28, was shot and killed at Hampton Park Plaza on Carling Avenue. In the same week, two men were found suffering from gunshot wounds in the ByWard Market, one with life-threatening injuries while the other was in stable condition.

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These recent shootings in the last month help to underscore that our city has not yet taken the steps to address gun crime with a meaningful strategy that emphasizes prevention. As a result, the numbers continue to grow. A recent report from Ottawa Police Services indicates there were 73 shootings in Ottawa throughout 2023, an increase of 22 per cent.

When gun violence occurs, it affects everyone in our community, not just those directly involved. It produces a range of negative consequences such as chronic illness, PTSD, modified activity patterns due to fear, emotional and learning problems among children, and negative effects on the economic viability of communities.

Ottawa Police Service estimates that more than 70 per cent of firearms used in gun crime are illegal. Approximately 70 per cent are smuggled from across the border, often destined to be delivered to traffickers and drug dealers. Nationally, 80 per cent of firearm deaths are suicides, two per cent are domestic violence, and two per cent are home accidents.

Sadly, there has been a lack of leadership from our current and previous councils to develop a comprehensive city-wide plan of action.

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Police provide contradictory positions, first by assuring residents that Ottawa is one of the safest cities in Canada, and then using the data around shootings to advocate for more funding.

At the same time, our political leaders offer thoughts and prayers, and resources such as crisis lines to cope with trauma after a shooting.

Ultimately, we are no further ahead in developing a comprehensive community response, while the voices of victims and survivors remain silenced.

According to the Ottawa Police Service, 81 guns were seized in raids throughout 2023. After each raid, a press conference was held to announce the confiscation of illegal firearms. While these media events seek to demonstrate that the police approach is working, the reality is that the number of guns acquired in these busts is miniscule compared to the degree of trafficking and firearms in our city.

When police conduct a raid and confiscate illegal firearms, it creates a void in the illegal gun market, which leads to more vigorous recruitment of at-risk individuals and increased efforts to acquire more firearms to replace the lost weapons.

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Our current approach is not only costly, it has proven to be ineffective. More and more municipalities are having greater success in treating gun violence as a public health matter.

Milwaukee and New York City are two cities in North America that have made the cultural shift from policing and punishment to prevention. Closer to home, Toronto adopted a public health model, recognizing that gun violence is an epidemic that can kill, leave permanent scars, and significantly impact the lives of survivors.

Since adopting this model five years ago, gun violence in Toronto has decreased by 30 per cent. The city also established a committee of citizens and organizations who have expertise on gun violence prevention, including educators, at-risk youth counsellors, and mental health advocates, domestic violence groups, representatives from BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and gun violence survivors themselves.

A public-health approach ensures that communities are collecting local data on demographics around age, gender, income disparities, community profiles, and support services that are lacking in the community.

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A public-health approach draws from a range of disciplines, including medicine, sociology, psychology, criminology, education, and economics, which is then used to respond to key public health issues.

A public-health approach to gun violence focuses on prevention and social development through four stages: monitoring, risk factor identification, intervention and evaluation, and implementation. It collects, monitors, and analyzes data on gun violence to identify who is affected, assess the full extent of consequences stemming from such violence, and identifies risk factors and protective factors to develop evidence-based policy, practices, and program solutions with various sectors and community members.

Gun violence cannot be dealt with through a piecemeal approach. It is caused by policy choices that create low income, segregated, largely racialized communities. Although the city is taking some small steps to invest in programs, the structural underlying problems that lead to another generation to pick up guns remain. Gun violence requires a thoughtful, comprehensive, and evidence-based approach. Prevention begins at the local level.

Rob MacDonald is a retired social service worker and paralegal who has spent decades working with vulnerable individuals and families. He advocates for the prevention of social problems rather than the reactive response of criminalization and punishment.

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