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Reducing the escalation of gun violence in Toronto, which has killed 22 people so far this year, will require social change and not police repression, say politicians and researchers of crime
. According to Jooyoung Lee, a professor of sociology at the University of Toronto, the long-term approach is to tackle situations like intergenerational urban poverty and racial discrimination. in the labor market, and help young people of color – particularly disadvantaged in cities like Toronto – to get ahead, "said Lee, whose research focuses on gun violence and gangs
. Lee said that between 14 and 18 years old, while they were trying to determine who they would become adults,
"They can live in a context where they feel their safety, whether by d & # 39; Other young people or by police officers whom they are skeptical for various reasons.
Eleven people have been shot dead in Toronto since Friday. Two people from the city's rap scene were killed in a shooting on Queen Street Saturday – Jahvante Smart, 21, also known as Smoke Dawg, and Ernest Modekwe, 28, both of Toronto. A woman who was injured in the same incident is expected to recover, the police said.
Four more people were shot in the Kensington Market area on Sunday night, and a man was injured Tuesday morning in a shootout. near downtown.
Overall, 22 people have been killed by guns in Toronto so far this year. The total number of homicides in the city was 51 – a figure inflated by the deadly truck attack that killed 10 people in April. However, there were 27 homicides at that time, including 16 fatal murders at the end of June 2017.
Mayor John Tory and Police Chief Mark Saunders said the vast majority of shootings this year "Being surgical, being strategic and focusing on this gang subculture is a big concern for me," Saunders told CP24 local television. "We have a plan at play to take care of it during the summer."
This plan involves "knowing who the players are" rather than saturating neighborhoods with a police presence, he said.
Toronto is still one of the safest cities in North America, but there are "serious concerns" about gun violence this year and no easy fix, said Mr. Tory to reporters Tuesday.
A little slogan or little political proposal misleads the people of Toronto and gives them false hope, "said Tory. "It 's a very complicated issue."
Toronto will have hired 200 new police officers by the end of the year, and city staff are planning to reinstate the programs that are in place. it has used in the past to offer young people a more positive solution. that gang activity, "Tory added." The city will also seek access to federal funding for crime prevention, "he said.
Tory called for guidelines more stringent for the bail system of Ontario
a handgun or commit a crime with a handgun (and) those who were convicted of a handgun that are found in possession of a handgun should not be released on bail, "Tory said. "These are obviously decisions made by judges, but for me, issuing much tougher and stricter guidelines for Crown attorneys is a fairly simple matter.
– With files by Nicole Thompson
Peter Goffin, The Canadian Press
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