While Canadian gun laws are already pretty tough, some in the snowy north want a full handgun ban. However, Toronto Police Association President Mike McCormack says it wouldn’t stop criminals or violence.

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“There’s no way in my world or any world I know that this would have an impact on somebody who’s going to go out and buy an illegal gun and use it to kill another person or shoot another person,” McCormack said to CBC News.

All this started when the Toronto City Council voted at the end of July in support of a city-wide ban on handguns in Canada, as well as ammunition. The council was responding to a July 22, 2018, shooting in Toronto, where two were killed and 13 wounded. The council hopes the vote will prompt action at the federal level.

The Montreal City Council is also urging Canada’s federal government to ban handguns, along with “assault weapons,” according to a CTV News Report. The Montreal City Council vote came about one month after Toronto’s.

McCormack claims that a handgun ban would be “a notional gesture at best.” In fact, experience has taught McCormack that criminals with guns don’t follow the law, so they are aren’t worried about breaking another law that bans guns.

Canadian Gun Laws

Gun violence has risen over the past few years in Canada. Handguns account for around 21 percent of that, with 130 homicides committed in 2016.

According to Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders, about 50 percent of firearms used in crimes come from within the country. However, there are no numbers collected on how many guns might be smuggled in to the country.

Now Canadian gun laws classify firearms into three categories—non-restricted, restricted and prohibited. All gun owners must obtain a license, which includes background checks and safety training. Many rifles and shotguns are non-restricted, but all handguns, and many semi-auto firearms, sit on the restricted list. Additionally, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police only accepts certain reasons for owning a restricted firearm. Even worse, it is very difficult to obtain a license to carry a gun outside of a home.

Canada also has storage requirements. When not in use, owners must store guns with a lock, with the bolt removed or in a locked container or room.