Over $51M going to CBSA to help prevent guns from entering Canada illegally

CTV Windsor: CBSA funding The feds are hoping to take a bite out of crime with a big investment to stop the flow of firearms.

The federal government is putting $51.5 million towards enhancing border security.

Officials say the initiative to Take Action Against Gun and Gang Violence is focused on smart solutions to make Canadian communities safer.

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale and Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction Bill Blair announced an investment of $86 million to help the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency combat gun and gang violence.

“Today's announcement will allow the RCMP and CBSA to take significant steps forward in the fight against gun and gang violence," says Goodale.

Over five years, $51.5 million will be provided to the CBSA to help prevent firearms from coming into the country illegally.

“Tackling illegal trafficking of firearms is an important first step in eradicating gun and gang violence,” says Blair. “Our frontline law enforcement officers in the CBSA and RCMP do extraordinary work.”

The CBSA will invest in an all-weather detector dog training facility, deploy new dog teams at key highway crossings, expand x-ray technology at postal centers and air cargo facilities, and provide training on the detection of concealed goods in vehicles crossing our borders.

Officials say $34.5 million over five years will be used to enhance the RCMP's new Integrated Criminal Firearms Initiative (ICFI). The ICFI includes building capacity for investigations, training, inspections, technology, and intelligence.

At the Summit on Gun and Gang Violence, convened by the Government of Canada earlier this year, experts attested that, to end gun and gang violence, governments must adopt a holistic approach, supporting prevention, gang exit, and enforcement initiatives, and taking into account that Canada's many regions and communities face distinct challenges that require distinct solutions.

The summit also heard that law enforcement, whether at the border or across Canada, must have the capacity, the information, and the tools they need to keep Canadians safe.