Cynics Unlimited

Authorities raced to Dundas St. East near Shuter around 4am, for a report of a man being shot.
When they arrived in the area, they were in for a surprise - the gunman started taking shots at both the lawmen and the EMS attendant who came to help the wounded victim. A bullet hole hit the ambulance but missed narrowly missed District Supervisor Brian Toshoff.
-CityNews Report

Less than 24 hours after a public plea by police, accused shooter Quinn Borde, age 23, turned himself in. Toronto has officially graduated to the Hollywood-style violence that smug Canadians once associated with the United States. Recent news reports suggest that Winnipeg and Edmonton aren’t faring much better, with police in the latter reeling in its own high profile shooting.

Where is David Miller now? Since the mayor’s inaugural pledge to clean up the city, violence in Toronto has spun out of control. A recent CityNews article confirmed what most residents already know – Toronto’s violent crime is getting worse:

Violent Crime: up 4.7% overall
Homicides: 79 in 2005, up 23.4%
Sexual Assaults: 2,723 in 2005, over 200 more than in 2004.
Non-sexual assaults: Up by 3.7%
Robberies: up 5.7%
(Compared to base year 2004)

6 months ago, Mayor Miller and police Chief Bill Blair haughtily dismissed Curtis Silwa and the Guardian Angels, claming they did not need help in fighting crime. Yet violent crime is becoming not only more frequent but more brazen, as illustrated by the Borde shooting.

As the Canada Day weekend closes, traditionally signaling the start of the Ontario heat wave, Toronto can probably look forward to many more public shootings by incompetent and unprofessional “gangstas” as well as violent robberies and sexual attacks by predators.

We’ve heard enough platitudes from politicians, social activists and pundits who want to pedal quick-fix solutions that have at best short term gains. It’s time for partisans to accept that a reduction in crime will only result from a multi-faceted, unflinching assault on criminals and the conditions that allow them to prosper. Based on the rise in Toronto gun violence alone, the following measures could prove helpful to mitigating the Summer of the Gun II:

Punishment:

• Amend the Young Offenders Act to exempt violent and gun-related offenses. While there may be wisdom in trying to anonymously refocus kids caught stealing from department stores, there is nothing youthful about murder. Light sentencing for juvenile killers is not going to save them from becoming hardcore criminals – they’re already there. Treat them as such.
• Pass laws forcing judges to automatically deny bail to offenders charged with gun or gang-related crimes. Unfortunately, judges don’t seem so concerned about public safety: 20 year old Andrew Smith, out on bail when he participated in the melee that resulted in the murder of Jane Creba, was just granted a hearing for what will be his third bail in under a year.

Community:

• Welcome the Guardian Angels and other watchdog groups to assist in “neighborhood watch” initiatives. A police force is impotent without community support, and Toronto should do everything it can to assist citizens willing to patrol city streets when the police are not around.
• Offer facilities and other non-monetary support to non government affiliated youth groups. The best programs to reach wayward youth are often started and run by other youths, rather than by headline-seeking preachers or professional activists. Support could come in the form of free hall rentals or material donations. In short, give the youth something positive to do.

Immigration:

• Automatic deportation of any immigrants or guest workers convicted of a violent offense, as well as their immediate families.
• Limit the landed immigrant status of lower-wage workers and give negative incentives for single workers to bring children at a later date. Contrary to popular belief, a lot of gang members are not the sons of welfare queens who sit around the house all day but rather hotel employees and other low-wage earners who work 10+ hour shifts and have little time to monitor the activities of their offspring. This isolation can drive already-alienated immigrant children to seek “family” elsewhere
• Set immigration limits for different nations, proportional to the violent crime rates of both immigrants and their second-generation offspring. Immigration should always serve the economic and social interests of the host nation. An identifiable group that requires a large amount of social assistance beyond what is generally needed to assimilate newcomers is a liability to Canada rather than an asset. To avoid possible discrimination, this measure should be employed only after extensive criminal studies have been completed and after the previous measure has been implemented for a number of years.