Street gangs zero in on gun owners
Miller calls for weapons ban as police warn collectors they are targets
Jan. 8, 2006. 01:00 AM
JOHN DUNCANSON
STAFF REPORTER


Gang members are actively gathering intelligence on legitimate gun collectors who have been targeted in recent years, leading police to warn owners to be careful about who they confide in about their weapons.

No amount of security is going to stop determined thieves from breaking into gun safes, says Inspector Dave McLeod, head of the Toronto police's urban organized crime squad.

"We know they are gathering intelligence on gun owners, but we don't yet know exactly how they are doing it," McLeod said.

Mayor David Miller said it's time to rid the city of privately-owned guns.

"That's exactly why I supported Prime Minister Paul Martin's call for a ban on the ownership of guns," Miller told the Star's Christian Cotroneo yesterday during an anti-gun rally.

"Guns are stolen from so-called legal gun owners and used to shoot people on the streets of Toronto and it's not acceptable," Miller said. "We have to put a stop to it. And the only way to do that is to ban the ownership of guns. I say the rights of us to be safe trump the rights of that so-called legal gun collector and that's why I've called for handguns to be banned in Toronto."

Miller and McLeod were commenting in the wake of a Saturday Star story detailing the fallout from a break-in at the subsidized apartment of Toronto gun collector Mike Hargreaves in late 2003 and the theft of dozens of high-powered weapons, including guns that have already been used on Toronto's streets, some in fatal incidents.

Hargreaves, 70, a well-known firearms instructor, is now living in Orlando, Fla., and hasn't returned to Canada since the theft of his guns. There is an outstanding warrant for his arrest on a charge of improper storage of his firearms.

McLeod hopes a new tip line set up by police will help them gather their own intelligence on how gang members are smuggling guns into the country and just how they find out the source of domestic guns held by registered gun owners. The hotline number is (416) 343-GUNS.

The Hargreaves break-in raises questions about just how safe gun collections are, especially when they are held at residences, but McLeod believes that the biggest source of illegal weapons continues to be those smuggled into Canada from the U.S.

Still, McLeod wonders how Hargreaves could store such a large collection of guns — more than 30 — in his community housing apartment on Gilder Dr. in Scarborough.

Hargreaves said he did everything legally and was devastated to find out that some of his guns have been linked to violence.

He said he moved into the 31 Gilder Dr. apartment, run by the Toronto Community Housing Corp., a decade ago because his income was low enough to allow him to qualify.

Police say a gun stolen from the apartment was used in September during one of the worst bloodbaths in the city's history. Three men were shot dead during a botched gun deal. A fourth man is facing a charge of second-degree murder in the shooting.


www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Render&c=Article&cid=1136675412574&call_pageid=968332188492

Uhh.....

How about telling the gun collectors to shoot the darn gang members???????

There aren't words for how messed up it is to say: Hey! Bad guys want to hurt you to take this thing you have! Thus, for your safety, we are going to ban the thing!!!

Should we ban Hondas because carjackers jack more of them every year than anything else??

It is the stupidest farking thing I have ever heard.

So is charging someone who was BURGLARIZED with "improper storage" when some idiot gangbanger steals a gun and kills people with it.

Just fry the damn gang banger and be done with it. Why does another person's illegal activity make the person who was robbed a criminal too?

I have to stop now before my head explodes.

so-called legal gun owners

What a telling way to put that.

Still, McLeod wonders how Hargreaves could store such a large collection of guns — more than 30

Oh noes!!! An ansenal larger than the Canadain Army's!

This is proof positive that liberalism is a mental disorder.

"We know they are gathering intelligence on gun owners, but we don't yet know exactly how they are doing it," McLeod said.

Hmmm, let me guess, maybe its the huge databases that the assholes in power keep on law abiding gun owners. Just like the "lists" that the state of Maryland wants to keep on all gun owners, just like the "lists" that liberal newspapers print with the names of CCW holders in Ohio. Thats how criminals get their infomation. But damn Ashcroft for passing a law to destroy all gun owner info within 90-days. Yeah that was a real bad idea.

We have to put a stop to it. And the only way to do that is to ban the ownership of guns

Yeah, God forbit we actually punish the criminals. I guess thats not an option huh? Freaking morons.

This tact has been tried in other citys... "No one should have guns because criminals might steal them."

Sorry, it just doesn't fly.

Isn't it amazing that the scum of society, because of their actions, dictate the laws of a country.  What does that say about the politicians and law enforcement?

Quoted: Isn't it amazing that the scum of society, because of their actions, dictate the laws of a country.  What does that say about the politicians and law enforcement?

Pussies?

Quoted: Isn't it amazing that the scum of society, because of their actions, dictate the laws of a country.  What does that say about the politicians and law enforcement?

Actually, the politicians are the problem.  The majority of the law enforcement community supports private gun ownership and concealed carry.  I do not, however, include police chiefs.  The are essentually mouthpieces of the politicians that keep them employed!

I guess the next step is to fight rape by banning womenz?

Quoted: I guess the next step is to fight rape by banning womenz?

Actually, it would start with the mandatory registration of all virgins!

Quoted: Still, McLeod wonders how Hargreaves could store such a large collection of guns ? more than 30 ? in his community housing apartment on Gilder Dr. in Scarborough.

I've got more than 30 guns in just one upstairs shitter.

Ontario's mostly suburbs and cities, at least where the concentration of population is, same as anywhere else. But suburban Canadians don't generally like guns. I'm surprised that they haven't made guns in this province illegal yet.

Quoted: Isn't it amazing that the scum of society, because of their actions, dictate the laws of a country.  What does that say about the politicians and law enforcement?

Politicians.
Scum of society.

Are you sure you're talking about 2 different groups of people?

While he was getting his ass handed to him, this guy was probably wishing that his city (led by a crack head) did not have a ban on handguns :

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/08/AR2006010801179.html