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GUNS and GANGS: TORONTO FIGHTS BACK Introduction GUNS AND GANGS: TORONTO FIGHTS BACK YV Introduction It was all over in a minute. Fifteen- Prime Minister Paul Martin and party Focus year-old Jane Creba was shot and killed leaders in the midst of a federal election This News in Re- while shopping with her parents in campaign promised to get tough on view story focuses on the escalation of downtown Toronto on Boxing Day. criminals, introduce new legislation to gun violence in They were shopping on Yonge Street, ban handguns, and devote more money 2005. There was a just north of the Eaton Centre, when to policing and law enforcement. But dramatic increase two groups of young men started argu- even as these promises were made, in the number of ing. Guns were pulled, shots were fired, community groups, religious leaders, shooting deaths in and seven people were hit. All of the academics, and black youth called for a the city, and most of the victims were victims were innocent bystanders, broader approach to the problem. Citing young black men. unrelated to the two groups. poverty, systemic discrimination, and This story explores The Boxing Day shootings came at the lack of hope among many black the nature of the the end of a bad year for Toronto. Gun youths as the major contributors to gang violence in Toronto violence escalated in the city in 2005. membership and gun violence, these and across Canada, possible reasons for At year’s end, there had been 78 mur- groups were looking for long-term gang membership, ders in Toronto, 52 by shooting. This is solutions that would attack the root of and potential a dramatic increase over the 27 shoot- the problem in the city. solutions to the ing deaths the city experienced in 2004. While politicians made promises and problem. And while the Boxing Day shootings citizens debated the causes of gun demonstrate that anyone can be a victim violence, some communities imple- of gun violence, the vast majority of mented their own solutions to the Update gunshot victims in 2005 were under the problem. The Malvern community in Within hours of the age of 30, as were the shooters. Toronto is one such community. Much New Year, Toronto Most of the young victims who died of the gun violence that occurred in police found yet another young in 2005 were young black men killed in 2005 occurred in Malvern. As a result, male victim of a gangland-style shootings. When rival the community has been plagued by shooting. gangs fight for a piece of the lucrative negative publicity, and many of the drug trade, guns are their weapons of citizens who live there live in fear and choice. And as guns become more with little hope. But no community is YV Sections prevalent, shooters become more and all bad—or all good, for that matter. So marked with this symbol indicate more brazen. This was demonstrated by a group of teenagers were given cam- content suitable for the Boxing Day shootings that took eras and asked to look for the beauty in younger viewers. place in the middle of hundreds of their community. In addition to learning shoppers, and the shooting death of valuable photographic skills, they also Amon Beckles, who stood smoking a discovered another side to their commu- cigarette on the steps of a church while nity, one that wasn’t all bad. Will this attending a funeral. experiment change things in Malvern? With each additional shooting death Likely not on its own, but change can there were greater demands for action. come from small steps. CBC News in Review • January 2006 • Page 44 To Consider Further Research 1. Do you feel that the gun violence in Toronto and other large Canadian To stay informed cities is generally limited to gang activity? Explain. about this ongoing story, consider a visit to the Toronto Police Service Web site at www.toronto police.on.ca and Toronto City Hall at 2. The gun violence in Toronto in 2005 was largely linked to young black www.toronto.ca. men involved in gangs. In what ways might this create the false impres- sion that other people and communities are safe? Further Research In the wake of the Boxing Day shoot- ings, Kofi Hope, of 3. In your opinion, what are the sources of the gang and gun problem? The Black Youth Coalition Against Violence, called for black youth to combat the “cyni- cism, alienation and apathy” that lead to low self- 4. How safe do you feel in your community? Be specific. esteem and bad choices. Learn more about the Coalition at www.uoftsac.ca/ index.php?cmd =ShowData& section=6&subsection 5. How would you deal with the problem of gangs and guns in Canada? =21&type=1. CBC News in Review • January 2006 • Page 45 GUNS AND GANGS: TORONTO FIGHTS BACK YV Video Review 1. Briefly describe what happened in Toronto on Boxing Day 2005. Respond to the questions as you view the video. Be sure to check with your teacher for any questions for which you did not find answers. 2. What happened at the funeral of another young man killed in a shooting incident? Did you know . Toronto’s bloodiest year for murders 3. From what groups do most of the killers and their victims come? was, in fact, 1991, when 88 homicides were committed. 4. Briefly describe the Malvern experiment. 5. What was the reaction of the young people to the photography exercise? 6. How did the project affect community-police relations? 7. What is a drive-by? ___________________________________________________ 8. How effective will community programs like the Malvern photo club be in curbing gang violence? 9. How safe is your community? Explain. CBC News in Review • January 2006 • Page 46 GUNS AND GANGS: TORONTO FIGHTS BACK YV The Boxing Day Shootings On December 26, 2005, two groups of foresee the consequences their actions young men confronted each other will have on others? outside a Foot Locker store on Yonge The Boxing Day shootings were also Street in downtown Toronto. Before considered horrendous because the long, guns were pulled and shots were shootings occurred in such a public fired. Seven people were hit. One place. Many of the other gun homicides young woman, 15-year-old Jane Creba, that plagued Toronto in 2005 occurred was killed. She had been shopping with in housing projects in particular areas of her parents. The six others injured, one Toronto: like Jane and Finch in north- critically, included an off-duty police west Toronto and the Malvern commu- officer. All of the victims were innocent nity of northeast Toronto. Most of the bystanders, while the young men in- victims were young black males. Al- volved in the shooting appeared to be though people living outside of those involved in rival gangs. neighbourhoods were concerned by the Although the Boxing Day shootings escalation of gun violence in the city, seem like just another violent crime in a they may not have felt personally long year of violent crime in Toronto, threatened if they lived outside of those observers are particularly concerned “hot spots.” The shootings on Yonge about the brazen nature of the shooting. Street, however, brought the issue of After all, it took place in the heart of gun violence closer to the larger popu- Toronto’s shopping district, and in the lation of the city. After all, anyone middle of hundreds of shoppers. Does willing to pull a weapon and shoot on the fact that the shootings occurred Yonge Street on Boxing Day would there demonstrate that the shooters feel likely be willing to shoot anywhere, at they will not be caught and convicted any time. for their actions? Or does it show that As police sift through the crime the shooters do not care who they hurt scene, and academics analyze the root when they have a score to settle against causes of gang violence and the in- a rival? Or does the shooting simply crease in the use of handguns as a show that the young men involved are weapon of choice, it is important to not so filled with fear, and so quick to pull to forget the victims of these crimes. their weapons, that they are unable to Analysis 1. Do you agree that the Boxing Day shootings demonstrate that gang members are becoming more fearless? Explain. 2. What do you think the impact of the Boxing Day shootings will have on each of the following? (a) parents (b) young people (c) witnesses to crimes (d) laws regarding handguns (e) feelings of safety and security for Torontonians (f) tourism in Toronto CBC News in Review • January 2006 • Page 47 GUNS AND GANGS: TORONTO FIGHTS BACK YV The Malvern Experiment The Malvern community became professional help. This help came from infamous in 2005. Much of the press an unexpected source: the police. coverage surrounding guns and gangs Constable Gordon Hayford is a commu- was based in this part of Toronto. One nity liaison officer with the Metro of the problems with negative press Toronto Police Department and a coverage is that the positive aspects of a professional photographer. He taught community or city are forgotten or the kids about Photoshop and, by being overlooked. But no community is all involved in the project, showed them bad or all good. This fact is what moti- that the police aren’t all bad either. This vated one man, Michael Coteau, to try was another of Coteau’s goals, to help to help some kids in the community see break down barriers between the youth Malvern in a new light and share this and the police.
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