Minister Toews issued the following statement on the Government's commitment to keep guns off our streets:

StarBuzz, Toronto-Today, “Our Government is committed to cracking down on the trafficking of illegal guns by criminal gangs. Since 2006, CBSA has seized almost 30,000 prohibited weapons (including firearms) at the border. The National Weapons Enforcement Support Team (NWEST) has also seized over 35,000 imported illegal guns between 2006 and 2010. While we continue to take strong action to keep dangerous criminals and gang members off the streets and out of our communities, we have also taken steps to ensure our border is closed to criminals and gun smugglers. This includes signing a MOU with the United States to help criminal investigations involving firearms, our Shiprider and Integrated Border Enforcement Teams initiatives, and new travel exemptions that allow CBSA to focus its resources on preventing the importation of illegal handguns and prohibited items. There is still more work to do, as illegal guns and the criminals who use them have no place in our society and we will continue to work with our partners to keep our streets and communities safe for all Canadians.”  
 
      - The Hon. Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety