Common menu bar links

Message from the Co-Chairs of the Canada-U.S. Consultative Group on Firearms Trafficking

We the Co-Chairs to the Canada-U.S. Firearms Trafficking Group are pleased to present this Overview on our cooperative efforts in combatting illicit firearms.

The Canada-U.S. Firearms Trafficking Group was formed in 2003 to implement law enforcement initiatives that would help prevent and combat firearms trafficking - a shared concern that threatens the public safety of residents in Canada and the United States. This Group is one of eight working groups of the Cross Border Crime Forum, and is co-chaired by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Canada Firearms Centre and the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

A joint Action Plan was developed that focused on awareness of our respective laws before crossing the border, appropriate information sharing using sophisticated new technologies, recognition of differences in our firearms laws that can be exploited by traffickers, and ongoing training for law enforcement officials. Most of these deliverables are also included in the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP) Action Plan between Canada, the United States and Mexico.

Our future joint efforts will be aimed at ensuring the timely sharing of strategic operations information among law enforcement officials to enable ongoing prevention and combating of firearms crimes.

Introduction

Contents