Minimum gun sentence needed to crack gangs: chief

Calgary's police chief is once again calling for tougher gun laws to battle organized crime in the wake of the city's latest gang-related shooting.

Police are still looking for suspects in a shooting on Monday afternoon in front of a Beltline apartment that sent a man to hospital with multiple gunshot wounds.

Investigators said the victim, 20, is a known associate of Roger Chin, a gang member who was gunned down on July 5.

Calgary police Chief Rick Hanson said his force needs better tools to stem the violence, especially dealing with people caught with a handgun.

"There's a proliferation of handguns in this country and that's why we are so supportive of minimum sentencing for possession of a handgun," he said on Tuesday.

'You got a handgun. You're caught in possession of a handgun — five years, period. Minimum.' — Calgary police Chief Rick Hanson

"I would like to see a minimum five years, period. You got a handgun, you're caught in possession of a handgun — five years, period. Minimum.

"There's no good reason to be in possession of a handgun at any time in the day or night, especially when you're travelling around downtown or going into a nightclub or carrying it around in your car."

Hanson said the recent violence is primarily between two groups, fuelled by personal grudges and the city's lucrative cocaine business.

Staff Sgt. Martin Schiavetta from the Organized Crime Operation Centre said there are currently a dozen active gangs in Calgary with about 400 members.

"A lot of our gang members are wearing body armour and it's getting to the point where you can't sell drugs in Calgary without arming yourself with a handgun, as the chief indicated," he said.