Halifax police chief says he's losing sleep over escalating gun violence throughout the city
Halifax's chief of police says he's concerned with the escalating gun violence in the city.
Halifax Regional Police Chief Dan Kinsella told the Halifax Board of Police Commissioners the escalating gun violence around the city "keeps me awake at night."
"It's a very serious issue that's affecting us in our community," said Kinsella, during his opening remarks to the board. "I know that this is an issue on your minds and the communities' minds."
According to Kinsella, there have been 13 shooting incidents already this year, with eight people reporting gunshot injuries.
Halifax police responded to 47 shooting incidents last year, compared to 21 incidents in 2020 and 10 in 2019.
"Part of our approach has been to remove illegal guns from the street and we have been focused on that very heavily and will continue to be," said Kinsella.
Halifax police have already seized 163 illegal guns this year, compared to 264 guns last year.
"We are making every effort to further investigations involving guns and we are making every effort to get illegal guns off the street," said Kinsella.
Four of the six homicides Halifax police are investigating this year have been gun-related.
Commissioners questioned Kinsella about the root causes of the shootings, but the chief wouldn't give specifics.
"There are a number of factors that drive what's going, we certainly don't know them all, we do our very best. We're taking an intelligence-led approach, particularly in our integrated guns and gangs unit," he said.
As of early June, Halifax District RCMP says they've responded to six crimes involving guns.
"We are seeing an increase in gun violence in Halifax District RCMP area, as well as our seizures are up," said RCMP Insp. Jeremie Landry.
Halifax RCMP responded to 26 gun calls in 2021 and 34 in 2020.
With the increase in gun violence, Kinsella is appealing to the Nova Scotia public prosecution service for help.
"We have requested consideration for a dedicated crown prosecutor for firearm offenses," said Kinsella.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.