Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I thank the witnesses who are here today, Ms. Skalusat and Mr. Wall.
I would like to put a question to Mr. Wall.
First, Mr. Wall, you are retired from the police department. You were a supervisor with the Montreal police.
For a few months, or a few years, we have seen some increase in gun violence in the Montreal area, and I am given to understand that this is a concern to many residents. Indeed, there's a lot of talk of it in my area, just north of Montreal.
According to what the police are saying, minimum sentences should be maintained because they will deter criminals. However, other people are saying that minimum sentences change nothing because, ultimately, judges will give the appropriate sentence, which should be about the same, or maybe even longer on occasion, than the minimum sentence currently set out in the Criminal Code.
I obviously have an opinion on those two positions, but I'm not here as a witness.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are more of the opinion that mandatory sentences should be maintained because they serve as deterrents.
I'd like to hear from you again on that.
Do you really believe that a minimum sentence will deter potential assailants from committing a criminal act and using a firearm in a bank robbery or other offences set out in the Criminal Code?