Discuss the current gun registry in Canada as a public good. What are the social costs and benefits of the programs? What, if any are the alternatives?.
The gun registry program in Canada was put in place to prevent people who are a danger to themselves or others from accessing firearms. Individuals must register their firearms and be issued licences, if they want to be a legal gun owner in Canada. The registration and licensing program is supposed to limit high-risk individuals access to firearms, while encouraging responsible firearm ownership, which provides critical information to police investigations and helps curb illegal gun trading. .
There are many reasons for having stricter gun controls in Canada. The main concern is to reduce gun related deaths and injuries that occur. Fewer accidental injuries and deaths will occur because of the safety measures that have to be adhered to. Gun owners must pass a firearms test to ensure that they know and understand the firearm laws and safety practices. Gun related suicide and homicide numbers should also decrease. The process is set up to screen out individuals who may be a risk, and bar offenders who have had a past history of violent gun use.
When the gun registry was first introduced it was supposed to cost only roughly $2 million dollars of taxpayers money and was seen as a good way to try and crack down negative gun use in Canada. Now that it has ended up costing a substantial amount more, a total of roughly $1 billion dollars, taxpayers are suggesting that the process is inefficient and that the money could be better spent on other areas much more beneficial such measures to fight crime or to fund other social needs such as education and health care.
One alternative that could have been placed with more emphasis would have been to strictly enforce existing gun charges and stop letting people get away lightly with there offences, the eventual effect would be positive and we would have a billion dollars (not counting the ongoing costs to maintain this system) to be put into something much more needed.