Brampton and Mississauga’s mayors have joined other GTA politicians and police chiefs in a pledge to lobby for tougher bail laws and sentencing for “repeat offenders who are caught engaging in gun violence and trafficking illegal guns.”

The pledge comes from a Jan. 28 joint statement following a meeting held in Toronto that included Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, Toronto Mayor John Tory and Peel police Chief Nishan Duraiappah.

“We believe it is important to send a clear message that gun violence is not acceptable and those who engage repeatedly in it will face real consequences from our justice system,” the joint statement said.

According to a Tweet from Tory, the meeting was to talk about how politicians and police chiefs can collaborate on tackling gun violence.

The statement following the meeting, which also included representatives from the Ontario government, said that the GTA mayors and police chiefs committed to “jointly advocating” over the coming months for more funding from the federal and provincial governments to pay for community initiatives, including related to mental health and substance use.

The meeting followed the provincial government announcing $20 million to help combat guns and gang activity in Peel Region on Jan. 24.

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