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The City of Toronto is seeking federal authority to outlaw the sale of handguns and their ammunition within the 416 area.

Council will also ask the federal government to ban handguns, assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons across the country except for police, military and security uses. The motion was approved in a vote of 41-4.

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“People in the City of Toronto don’t need handguns,” Mayor John Tory said at the end of a day-long discussion over the best way to response to gun violence.

Councillor Joe Cressy kicked off the debate on violence prevention Tuesday, questioning whether it was possible to outlaw handguns outright in the city, something he was told would require legislative changes by the Justin Trudeau government.

Police Chief Mark Saunders told council he wasn’t so much concerned with legal gun owners, but rather the criminals who find it increasingly easy to get their hands on such weapons — especially with the possibility of 3D-printed guns.