Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, and thank you very much for accommodating my schedule today. It's a pleasure to speak to you today regarding Bill C-14.
As you are aware, in many Canadian cities the concern about violence and youth crime has been rising in the last number of years. Halifax is no exception. Halifax has had a long-standing drug subculture, which has brought with it other criminal behaviour and violence. This problem has been compounded in recent years with the emergence of a street gang culture and related street violence. Halifax is consistently ranked as one of the most violent cities in the last decade.
In 2005 we implemented a crime reduction strategy that focused on targeting high crime areas and chronic offenders. These measures have resulted in the gradual decrease in violent crime. However, we still have much to do to reduce violent crime.
While crime has been trending downward for four consecutive years, it is violent incidents that alarm our citizens, particularly incidents involving firearms. I and my senior officers receive comments almost daily from citizens who say they are fearful of coming to Halifax because of violence. That's something that none of us wants to see in our communities.
Despite the fact that most crimes of violence are being committed against and by people involved in criminal activity, violent offences, particularly those involving guns, create a perception that the city is unsafe.
But it is not simply a matter of perception. In 2008 we saw a more than 10% increase in the number of firearms seized by HRP versus 2007. Last year we seized 135 firearms in the city of Halifax. In the first two months of 2009, there were 18 incidents of violent crime involving a firearm and another 23 involving knives. As we speak today, my units are in an area of the city where another drive-by shooting has just taken place, and we're also now at the scene of another murder.
In August 2008, violence associated with opposing criminal groups began to emerge after a shooting. The violence continued sporadically until early November, when a key criminal figure was released from custody. It appeared that violent incidents were occurring daily. In spite of an unprecedented police response, targeting both of those criminal groups, the violence continued, culminating in two very public shootings. The first was in a parking lot of a local pizza shop, and the second was in a parking lot of the IWK Children's Hospital in Halifax. These shootings shocked the community and only intensified the police response. The significant resource deployment and highly focused effort resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals, the seizure of illegal drugs and weapons, drug charges, and significant Criminal Code charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder.
Also in August 2008, a series of violent armed robberies in places of business emerged as a serious concern. A group of suspects emerged earlier, and charges were laid, but the robberies have continued. The robberies are well planned, including escape routes to allow the suspects to avoid detection. This criminal group has consumed significant resources and has required specialized skills and equipment to investigate.
These are only a few examples of the shootings in very public places that have become an all too common occurrence in the last few years. In my 39 years of policing, nothing has disturbed me more than the total disregard for the safety of innocent bystanders shown by those responsible for the shootings.
I am pleased that the proposed amendments to the Criminal Code will address the growing problem of indiscriminate and dangerous shootings. Bill C-14 sends the clear message that drive-by shootings, the reckless discharge of firearms in public places, and the use of firearms for intimidation by criminals will not be accepted by our society. It is long overdue.
Organized crime's use of violence and intimidation to achieve its criminal objectives is not a new phenomenon, but my experience tells me that the level of gratuitous and indiscriminate violence is new. In my view, the question asked by most citizens should not be whether or not homicides resulting from the activities of criminal organizations should attract the most serious of criminal sanctions, but rather, why these sanctions don't apply now.
We must clearly send the message that gang-related violence will not be tolerated. Specifying that murder is automatically first degree when it is committed in connection with a criminal organization is an important step.
I am also pleased that this bill will create two new offences designed to protect peace officers and other justice officials. Police officers today are being confronted more and more with weapons and violence. We must ensure that our laws address that violence, and these provisions speak to the level of violence and intimidation police face today. Assaults on police officers in Halifax this year over last year have risen in excess of 40%.
I would be remiss if I did not add my voice to those calling for changes to part VI of the Criminal Code, the legal regime under which police officers can intercept private communications.
I have spent a significant part of my career investigating organized crime and conducting wiretap investigations, and I can tell you that without the ability to legally intercept private communications, many very successful investigations would not have happened. That ability has been eroded by technology and the failure of the law to keep pace. The complexity of criminal investigations and the information involved has increased tenfold in the last decade. The tools to combat crime must also keep pace. I know you have heard from others on lawful access, so I will not belabour the point, except to say that the time to act on modernizing part VI of the Criminal Code has passed. We need these tools, and we need them now, to fight the increasingly complex problem of fighting organized crime and violence.
In closing, I am not here today to tell you that this bill, or any bill, will address all the issues of crime or violence. In fact, these issues will only be solved by a broad societal approach that addresses the underlying causes of crime, such as poverty, racism, and other social development concerns. This is not to say, though, that criminal law does not have a role. The proposed bill is a good step in the fight against criminal gangs and violence. It is targeted and it is directed at some of the issues communities face, and I would urge everyone to support this legislation.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.