1. Youth, Gangs and Guns for Montreal Interveners
Background information on Gangs in Montreal 1

2. Background: Youth Gangs
There are no common definition of gangs, gang members and gang activities.
The SPVM describes youth gangs as “an organized group of adolescents and/or adults who rely on group intimidation and violence, and commit criminal acts in order to gain power and recognition and/or control certain areas of unlawful activity” 2

3. Background:Youth Gangs
Not all youth gangs are criminalized
Not all groups of young people are really street “gangs”
Different degrees of formality
Youth may move in and out of “gang” activities
Individuals on periphery may facilitate gang activity actively or passively 3

4. Background: Montreal’s Youth Gangs (SPVM)
20 major street gangs
Two distinct groups (Red and Blue)
members
30 emerging gangs
Recruits of all ages: 20% years old, 60% 17-28, 20% 29-35
Cut across many ethnic, geographic, socio-economic lines 4

5. Background: Montreal’s Street Gangs (SPVM)
Objective is financial gains
Look for opportunities to gain territory
Activities largely involve drug and weapons trafficking, juvenile prostitution, theft, loan-sharking, extortion and fencing stolen goods.
Belonging to street gang is attractive to some vulnerable youth as gang fulfils their needs 5

6. Background: Montreal’s Street Gangs and Guns
In 2006, 3% of all crimes were related to gang activities
15% (120)of all guns recovered as of June 2007 were from gang members
In guns were recovered by Gang unit.
The guns recovered includes: rifles, shotguns, pistols, revolvers, semi-automatics, etc. 6

7. Background: Youth, Gangs and Gun Crime
More crimes are gang-related
Youth crime has increased
More youth are using guns in assault, robberies and homicides
Violent youth victimize young friends or acquaintances
Gangs increases feeling of insecurity
Consequences to gang activities eg. settling of accounts or shooting of bystander. 7

8. Background: Mtl Youth and Guns
2006 study of Montreal High School Students years old:
2.2% of students say they have brought a GUN to their school
4.7% say they have previously threatened someone with a GUN
23.6% say they have a friend who carry a weapon at school 8

9. Background: Mtl Youth and Guns
Study of drop-out high school kids years old:
38% say could buy a gun in one day
12% say could buy a gun - 1 hour
1/3 say friend or acquaintance could sell them a gun
1/5 say could buy gun “in the street”
5% say could buy a gun legally even though law forbids sale to minors. 9

10. Background: Use of Guns by Gang Members
Self-protection, avoid harassment
“Display”, demonstration and/or enhancement of status
Intimidation
Commission of crimes (infrequent)
Violence on criminal peers, law enforcement community, general public (rare) 10

11. Background: Glimpse at Statistics
Youths who commit violent crimes are more likely to use a gun than adults
2.8% of youth use a firearm to commit a crime.
In 2006, 3% of all crimes committed in Montreal were related to gang’s criminal activities 11

12. Background: Guns and Gang Culture
“some carry a gun for self-defence, because they are afraid. Others believe that their best defence is to attack.”(transl.)- Montreal Community Worker
“The status of a member is directly linked to his capacity to subject to violence and to be subjected to it”- Chantale Fredette, Centre jeunesse de Montréal 12

13. Background: Guns in Gang Culture
Guns are valued by youth beyond their usefulness as tools for crime
Guns have value as symbols for social status, self-worth, and personal power
Youth who have witnessed drive-by shootings, deaths of friends and family members, killings over personal slights more at risk to perceive gun violence as one of the few options available for resolving disputes 13

14. Background: Lethality of Guns
Access to guns increases the risks that trivial disputes and minor confrontations be elevated in severity.
“When we ask ‘Why did you shoot this guy?’ It’s ‘He bumped into me,’ ‘He looked at my girl the wrong way’. It’s not like they’re riding around doing drive-by shootings. It’s arguments- stupid arguments over stupid things.”- Gang Member in NY times 14

15. Background: Canadian Gun Law
All gun owner must have a license
18 years or older except Minor Permits
Screening includes questions on history of violence, mental illness, etc.
References
Renewable every 5 years
All guns must be registered
All guns must be safely stored 15

16. Background: Canadian Gun Law
All handgun owners must have a license
18 years or older
Must demonstrate membership to a gun club (target shooter) or collector or in few cases for self-protection
All handguns must be registered
All handguns must be safely stored
All handguns require permits to travel 16

17. Background: Where do they get their guns?
Most firearms recovered in crime are not traced, Montreal has not released data
In Toronto
Handguns (40%) Most (70%) smuggled, also theft and illegal sales
Long guns (35%) From Canadian sources
Replicas, airguns (25%) From Canadian sources 17

18. Background: Where do they get their guns?
Common practice for gang members to rent guns for specific period of time.
Some youth gang members are involved in the theft and re-sale of firearms.
Replica firearms are often seized by gangs.
The Internet is a tool used for the sale of illicit firearms. 18

19. Background: Source of Guns Used in Crime
Little data available on source of guns
Legal guns misused by their owners – most often the case with domestic homicide, suicide and accidents
The shooter at Dawson College was a legal gun owner and member of a gun club.
A young legal handgun owner shot a bystander as he was walking home downtown Toronto in January 2008. 19

20. Background: Source of Guns Used in Crime
Legal guns which are diverted to the illegal markets through theft or illegal sale
improperly stored, and stolen or sold illegally
as many as 3,000 firearms reported stolen in Canada every years 20

21. Background: Source of Guns Used in Crime
Smuggled guns originating from the US, typically acquired through theft, straw purchases, or gun shows
These guns account for as many as 50% of the handguns recovered in crime.
The 2006 Toronto Police Initiative Project XXX which targeted a specific street gang in the northern part of Toronto revealed multiple instances of firearms being smuggled in Canada from the United States. 21