I think that would send a very negative message to the public.
As I said earlier, this is the third year that there has been an increase in violence, so it is not a one-off. We think it will continue, because a gun culture has developed. People are starting to use guns at an increasingly young age. Also, we are seizing many more firearms, two to three times more than before 2020. Police officers have to be constantly on guard, given the possibility that the person they are stopping may be in possession of a firearm.
I've talked to many citizens who told me they don't feel safe, especially when they see other types of criminal events, such as people going into the Sainte-Rose neighbourhood and shooting out the doors and windows of a family home. In the crime and gang world, this is done simply to send a message—it's called scoring points. As you can imagine, when events like these or the ones I highlighted earlier happen near their homes, many people say they can't stay there any longer and are going to move.
I am convinced that these citizens do not see it as a positive thing that the Government of Canada is thinking of passing legislation to abolish mandatory minimum sentences.