Calgary police investigations into 2022 shootings reveal reasons and origins of gun crimes – Calgary
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The day after the 106th shootings in the city, Calgary police told the Calgary Police Commission that crimes involving guns continue to be dealt with through investigations.
“We know we are on the verge of breaking the previous record with this level of violence, and it has already cost too many lives,” the CPS superintendent said. Scott Boyd told the commission.
“The violence can be directly attributed to the wanton and reckless behavior of a few individuals in our city who do not reflect the same benevolent beliefs and values that the majority of Calgarians display.”
The number of shootings in the city eclipsed the total of 96 in 2021.
Investigators were able to determine the circumstances of some of the shootings.
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Until the end of August, 20 were the result of disagreements between individuals, six were drug-related, four were in road rage incidents and two were due to theft for cash. Of the shootings during this period, 31 are still under investigation and 27 had undetermined motives.
The report noted that 12 of the city’s 21 homicides this year – or 57% – were the result of gunshot wounds.
CPS Chief Mark Neufeld said there are a « shocking » number of guns on the streets of Calgary now, compared to previous years.
The firearms investigation unit traced the provenance of some of the firearms.
Of 28 recovered weapons directly linked to shootings, five were smuggled, two were homemade and two were 3D printed. Four were missing serial numbers after failed restoration efforts, and seven were stolen from a residence or during a break-in.
Only one was legally owned, two were not reported as lost or stolen — « That means they’re probably trafficked, » Neufeld said — and the others are under investigation.
And of the 64 people suspected or charged with gun seizures, only two had valid gun licenses.
The police chief said the source of the firearms was a concern for community and officer safety.
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“I think we’ve seen the number of weapons that have been smuggled: it’s a relatively high number. A growing percentage of those who are ghost guns and guns are coming out of 3D printers – very difficult to trace,” Neufeld said.
Dep. Chief Ryan Ayliffe said Calgary is experiencing the national trend of an increase in 3D-printed firearms, an area of focus for police departments.
“I suspect some of these break and enter guns are from other parties. Rural Alberta is an area … where we see that from time to time,” Neufeld continued.
« But regardless of how guns find their way onto the streets and into the hands of criminals, I think that’s a concern and will continue to move forward. »
The report to the police commission noted that 26 of the 100 shootings through September 12 are being investigated as being related to organized crime.
Boyd said Calgary police have been in close contact with police in other cities facing similar crime issues, such as those in the Lower Mainland, Edmonton and Toronto in British Columbia.
« We are confident that the violence we are seeing in Calgary right now is unrelated to conflicts across Canada, » Boyd said.
« It should come as no surprise, however, that when members of criminal groups are incarcerated, we see a decrease in violence and vice versa. »
With shootings in every neighborhood in the city, Boyd said all Calgarians should be concerned about gun violence and consider helping police investigations in a number of ways.
« The reality is that for us to be successful in solving these crimes, we rely on eyewitness testimony, CCTV footage and physical evidence to help solve the crime with our investigators, » he said.
CPS chief agrees with assault weapons ban
The police chief said most of the city’s 106 shootings did not involve firearms that are part of the federal assault-style firearms ban. But he agreed with the principles behind the ban.
« Taking a number of assault-type weapons and high-capacity magazines off the streets and that sort of thing makes sense, » Nuefeld told the commission. « The devastation has been much worse due to the use and availability of these types of weapons. »
Neufeld said conversations with his American counterparts show the damage assault-style firearms can cause in mass shootings.
“So there may be discrepancies or discussions about which weapons fall into the category and which do not. And those discussions might be worth having,” the CPS chief said.
“But at the end of the day, in an urban environment, it can do a lot of damage. And from a public safety and officer safety perspective, we have to be very concerned about that. »
Police commissioners asked Neufeld what role the CPS would play in the federal gun buyback program.
Neufeld said he doesn’t know yet because the plans have not yet been released by federal authorities.
« The short answer to that question is that we are awaiting more information on the impact this will have on us and what role we may have to play. »
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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