Olivia Chow proposes crime prevention platform, gun control
Posted July 14, 2014 4:52 pm.
Last Updated April 13, 2015 12:32 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Olivia Chow announced an anti-crime platform Monday.
If elected mayor, Chow says she has a four-point plan for reducing crime and gun violence in Toronto, including a ban on handguns.
Her plan also calls for partnerships with community organizations, more crisis prevention workers, and more programs for children and youth.
Chow acknowledged crime rates are going down, but stressed the continued need for vigilance.
“I’m glad we’re going in the right direction. One death is too many,” Chow told reporters.
When asked about the city’s ability to enact gun control — an item under federal jurisdiction — Chow said the city can ask the federal government for the right to ban guns.
“We can say that. We need to say that. … We need to speak out louder about tighter gun control. We could also say very clearly there needs to be steps to stop the flow of illegal guns across the border.”
Chow would like to ban all handguns in the city, saying there’s “no reason why anyone needs a handgun in a big city like ours.”
Chow announced the plan at Ephraim’s Place, a community hub named for Ephraim Brown, an 11-year-old killed by stray bullets in 2007.
Mayoral candidate John Tory criticized Chow’s plan, saying tougher gun laws won’t reduce the amount of criminal activity.
“What Ms. Chow doesn’t seem to understand is that criminals and gang members don’t obey the law. Calling for such a ban isn’t leadership. It’s an empty gesture,” Tory said in a press release.
Rob Ford called the proposed ban “political grandstanding” and noted that Chow voted against the Safe Streets and Communities Act in 2012 which he says would help strengthen handgun laws and reduce handgun related crimes.
“Chow knows full well that criminal laws surrounding firearms are a federal issue, with limited municipal oversight,” Ford said in a statement. “Yet, as a Federal MP, when Olivia Chow had the opportunity to make a real difference by supporting tougher laws for illegal handguns, she voted against it.”
Chow’s vision for crisis prevention includes more initiatives like the Toronto Police Mobile Crisis Intervention Team, which pairs police officers with nurses trained to deal with mental health issues.
