We have interesting discussions about the sources of guns, and we work hard at all sources. Our investigations in 2003 and 2004 indicated an even split, with half being smuggled across the border and half being stolen from legitimate gun owners here in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada.
We've worked very hard to raise public consciousness about the problem with insecure firearms in our communities. I think there has been an improvement. What I think we're seeing now, in our latest work this year, is that close to 80% of the firearms we're seizing have in fact been smuggled across the border. So that's shifting a little bit. I think it is reflective of some good work that has been done here to improve the quality of security of firearms, but it is a challenge.
You raised the issue of the border. I am a member of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which is an organization of the large police services across North America. I have been at two national forums conducted by the United States, in Washington and in Boston, on the issue of gun violence. The whole issue of gun violence is being described by the chiefs of the large cities in the United States as a gathering storm. What is happening in the urban centres of virtually every jurisdiction in America is a significant increase in violence, in particular gun violence, which is attributed to a great extent to gangs.
We are not the United States. We have different laws and a different society. But the cultural influences that give rise to much of this gang activity impact on our youth as well, so I think there is a great forewarning there. It was indicated today that we saw a bit of spike and then the numbers came down, but a very strong trend is emerging across North America in terms of an increase in gun violence and an increase in gang activity in all communities. We're seeing a serious and worrying increase in youth violence in those cities.
So we have not experienced the same level of violence, but I think there are lessons to be learned there.