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As Ottawa passes the one-million mark, the issues our city faces will change. While a larger population means increased market and cultural opportunities that will give our city greater global visibility and presence, it also means Ottawa will be the subject of more “big city” problems that will require sophisticated “big city” solutions. Gun violence is a growing concern, and it is our duty to get ahead of this problem and find a solution.

There is empirical evidence demonstrating that gun crime is rising. In 2017, firearm-related violence reached a 25-year high nationally, with 7,500 incidents of violent crime involving handguns reported to police. In 2018, 76 total shooting incidents occurred in our city. Six people were killed and 24 were injured. We must take substantive action to prevent any further escalation of gun violence in Ottawa.

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That is why I am proposing a motion at City Council to address this issue. The first part of my motion is a call for greater resources and tools that our municipality can leverage in order to reduce violence, especially in our most marginalized communities.