Sault police take more guns off the streets in December

Sault Ste. Marie -

Sault Ste. Marie's police chief is urging the public to share tips with police about criminal activity, as the latest statistics from the Sault showing more guns being taken off the streets.

Officers seized 34 guns in December 2021, an increase from 11 in 2020.

Chief Hugh Stevenson said the majority of the guns are being found through the drug trade and at traffic stops.

"I can tell you the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service has had more significant takedowns of people not from this city, peddling weaponry and narcotics on our streets," Stevenson said.

"These weapons are made to do one thing, and it's not hunting. So any time the public can bring information forward to police, that is the best way we can get them off the streets."

Sault police noted a rise in violent crime last year, with use of force numbers up by police. Stevenson said violent crime in in the city has risen more than 80 per cent in the last five years.

"In speaking with other northern police chiefs, that seems to be the trend right across the board," he said.

The chief said it's difficult to pinpoint exactly where the guns are coming from, but most are believed to be smuggled into Canada from the United States.

"Primarily, it's about intelligence information," Stevenson said.

"It's about how we manage informants, it's about how people talk to us and know they can talk to us without getting in trouble, and it's that collective responsibility for public safety that drives people to tell us."

Police have also increased patrols in the city's downtown core through its dynamic patrol initiative.