Calgary police lay 120 charges related to rising gun violence
CBC
Calgary police have laid more than 120 charges and seized 10 firearms as they address the rise in gun violence in the city this year.
The charges were laid against nine people, all previously known to the Calgary Police Service's organized crime unit, said Insp. Jodi Gach.
"Regardless of motivation, offenders involved in this type of crime have shown very little regard for the safety of Calgarians, with several recent incidents occurring in busy public areas," said Gach.
The higher number of shootings this year — 91 as opposed to 52 at the same time last year — can't be attributed only to gang violence, police say.
"Organized crime and gang-related violence is not increasing this year," said Gach. "We know that the number of shootings has increased, but it's increased overall in the city."
More than 75 per cent of shootings investigated this year include other motivations such as personal conflict, road rage, accidental discharge and non-gang-related drug shootings.
"People who historically wouldn't have been using guns have elevated their level of violence," said Gach.
The rising availability of guns and the reckless behaviour of organized crime is a large part of the problem, she said.
A handful of the charges announced Wednesday are being investigated in connection with a brazen public shooting in Saddle Ridge in early April when 10 homes and three vehicles were hit with bullets.
Coun. Courtney Walcott, who is also a member of the Calgary Police Commission, said laying charges against gun violence has been a major challenge in Calgary for a few years.
However, the Ward 8 representative believes CPS is on the right track with the work it's doing to address the issue.
"For gun violence, it's quite often tied up between, of course, illegal gun trafficking just as much as it is legal gun ownership," he said.
"When we think about the police, they're responding to all of this. And so, are we supporting them enough? Are we supporting our citizens enough when we actually look at the different supports that every individual Calgarian requires to feel like they belong in the city? That's the part that I think we always have more work to do."
Walcott said the uptick in gun violence that's not related to organized crime is a sign of the wear and tear on people over the past few years.
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