Department of Justice
Canada
Ottawa, Canada
K1A 0H8

August 16, 2001

Dear Mr. Lemieux:

Thank you for your correspondence of July 18, 2001, to my predecessor Ms. Maryantonett Flumian, concerning the inquiries that were carried out before you were issued a firearms licence.

I assure you that the goal of firearms licensing and registration is public safety. Towards this end, applications are being screened careflilly to determine if someone could pose a risk to themselves or others.

Regarding the personal questions on the new licence application forms, you may not be aware that similar questions were included on the previous Firearms Acquisition Certificate forms, dating back to the early 1990s. The sole reason for these personal questions is to screen out those firearm owners who could prove to be a danger to themselves or to others. A positive answer to any of the questions on the form does not mean that an individual would be denied a licence. Rather, in a small number of cases, it signals a need for futher enquiry or investigation.

Section 55 of the Firearms Act, states that a CEO or the Registrar may require an applicant to submit information that may reasonably be regarded as relevant for determining whether that person is eligible to have a firearms licence. Further, the CFO may conduct an investigation of the applicant through interviews with whomever the CFO believes may provide relevant information.

I apologize if the questioning by officials gave the impression that they were being intrusive. As in all positions, an official has to use discretion when reviewing an application. They must remain objective while at the same time be thorongh and err on the side of caution. I realize that the vast majority of Canadians are law-abiding citizens, and I assure you that the purpose of the legislation is not to make you feel that your honesty and integrity are in question.

There is enconraging evidence that such measures may already be paying off in terms of decreasing the rate of firearm-related crimes. In 1995, when the Firearms Act was first tabled in Parliament, firearms were used in over 22 percent of all robberies. In 1999, the first full year of implementation, firearms were used in only 18 per cent of robberies according to a report released in July 2000, by the Canadian Cenfre for Justice Starisucs. That report also indicated that the homicide rate during 1999 was the lowest it has been since 1967. Although firearms remain the most common weapons used in homicides, the proportion of homicides involving firearms dropped by approximately 4 per cent in 1999, compared to the annual average over the previons 24 years. Further, the recent decline in the use of firearms and other weapons in crime has resulted in a corresponding 10 per cent decline in the proportion of victims injured during the commission of a crime.

Thank you for taking the time to express your concerns and for your efforts to comply with the firearms legislation.

Yours sincerely,
Gary Webster
Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Firearms Centre

JPG scan of original letter: page 1, page 2.

See Pierre Lemieux's reply at http://www.pierrelemieux.org/policecanada/lemieux060901.html.