Violent crimes involving guns – including homicides, shootings and carjackings – have surged in York Region since the start of the year, police said Tuesday, calling the increase troubling for the area north of Toronto.
York Regional Police Chief Jim MacSween said organized crime and increased availability of illegal weapons are thought to be contributing to the spike, noting that his force is dedicating more resources toward ensuring residents are "not only kept safe but they also feel safe."
"The trend in violent crime is a major concern," he said at a news conference where police shared data on the surge.
York Region has seen 46 shootings so far this year, marking a 92 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
"Illegal handguns have become all too easy to access with limited consequences for criminals," MacSween said.
"Almost all of the guns being used in these crimes are illegal handguns, many of which are being smuggled across the border from the U.S."
York Region is made up of nine municipalities, including the communities of Aurora, Richmond Hill, Markham, Newmarket and Vaughan.
Communities in the southern part of York Region, which share a border with Toronto, have been particularly affected by gun violence, the force noted.
Police said there have been 15 homicides in York Region so far this year, a figure nearly double the eight seen last year.
Deputy Chief Alvaro Almeida said a number of homicide cases have allegedly involved gender-based violence, which has caused a "major concern."
"It is unfortunate, but that is one area where we do see that intimate partner violence is the major cause of a lot of these homicides," he said.
"This is something that we continue to beat the drum around the community for members of the community to assist us in giving us, you know, the advanced warning that something is on the horizon."
The region has also seen 64 violent carjackings so far this year, a surge of 106 per cent over the same period last year, and a 400 per cent jump compared to 2019, MacSween said.
The force said it would be forming a unit dedicated to investigating carjackings and launching a campaign to educate people on how to protect themselves and their cars.
The spike in violent crime comes as York Region police investigate two separate deaths of Markham, Ont., women in recent months.
Police said Yuk-Ying Anita Mui, a 56-year-old Markham realtor, was believed to have been targeted and murdered. Unidentified burned remains were found in Parry Sound, Ont., on Aug. 12 after she was reported missing by her family on Aug. 9, and police said last week that the coroner had confirmed those were Mui's remains.
In a separate case, police charged a man with murder in the death of another missing Markham woman whose remains were found in central Ontario. In that case, police said the coroner identified the remains found in the community of Kirkfield as those of Ying Zhang, who was last seen on July 25 in Markham.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2024.
Sharif Hassan, The Canadian Press