Justice committee  They come from Statistics Canada and intelligence gathering through our own processes and systems, our liaison with other police departments, an amalgamation of the information we gathered through the various departments, and an analysis of that information.

Justice committee  That's correct.

Justice committee  Last year, for example, there were about 650 homicides, 255 of which were committed by firearms. We have approximately 2,000 to 3,000 firearms either stolen or reported missing annually. Many of the gangs, particularly gangs in the northwest region—Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba—are using sawed-off shotguns and .22s, most of which are being obtained through local crime, break-and-enters, and thefts.

Justice committee  I can't tell you a tremendous amount. I told you that many of the guns that gangs are using are coming from thefts and break-and-enters. We do know there is gun smuggling as well. To that end, the RCMP has created border integrity teams to research and investigate those kinds of offences.

Justice committee  Well, in terms of sentencing, there is a greater danger with handguns in that they're more easily concealed and can be more readily used in the commission of many of the crimes that we see, particularly armed robberies. Handguns would be more serious. In fact, the handgun is a restricted weapon, and of course a long gun isn't restricted.

Justice committee  I think the sentence should reflect the specifics of the crime and the particular situation.

Justice committee  I would say so.

Justice committee  I can give you some numbers. For example, we estimate that there are approximately 7,000 gang members in Canada, and they're organized around 350 or so gangs. Most of the gangs are in Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta—

Justice committee  Seven thousand members of various gangs, and approximately 400 gangs.

Justice committee  It absolutely is a good option. It's beginning to show results.

Justice committee  I think it would be, based on the evidence we've seen thus far in British Columbia.

Justice committee  I'm representing the RCMP and I'm presenting the crime reduction strategy as an option.

Justice committee  It's anecdotal. We don't have specific measurements. As was referred to earlier, it's hard to quantify those kinds of issues. But anecdotally and in speaking with others, and in particular in the instance where we saw an increase in penalties for impaired driving, there were additional or more trials than you normally would expect, in our experience.

Justice committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to provide this perspective of the RCMP, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, on Bill C-10. We recognize that achieving public safety, or a safe society, requires commitment and a continuum of action from all stakeholders.

Justice committee  Police in general believe that harsher penalties and mandatory minimum sentences will both deter and incapacitate the offender and thus are valuable tools in the fight against crime. Unfortunately, it may not be that straightforward. While there is some evidence that mandatory minimum sentences will deter criminals, the prolific offender--and those are the 2% or 3% who commit 80% to 85% of the crime--is less likely to be deterred.