While the trend of firearms crimes has been generally downward, there have been some changes in recent years. The proportion of violent crimes involving firearms decreased to a low point of 2.2% in 2002, but it has increased to 2.5% in 2004. In proportional terms, this represents about a 10% increase. Therefore, while the overall and longer-term national trends show a decrease in gun crimes over the last few decades, certain specific types of violent gun crimes are increasing in some areas of the country.
For example, firearms homicides have increased quite dramatically in Toronto. I noted some of the success that the police have been having in using very effective policing methods, but that's always one half of the equation. In Winnipeg and in Toronto, gang-related homicides and the proportion of handguns used in violent crimes are a major cause for concern. That is why the proposals in this bill focus quite specifically on that matter, because of that specific problem that the—