Beyond Buybacks: Why Canada Needs Smart Gun Safety Solutions
When the Liberal Party announced its national gun buyback program, it was framed as a bold step toward reducing firearm-related harm in Canada. The intent is admirable—taking certain prohibited firearms out of circulation—but the execution raises difficult questions. With costs projected in the hundreds of millions of dollars, the program’s ability to actually reduce crime, improve public safety, or prevent child access to unsecured firearms remains uncertain.
Gun buybacks, by design, focus on removing specific weapons from legal owners. But the uncomfortable truth is that the majority of firearm-related crime in Canada is not being committed with these legally purchased, soon-to-be-surrendered guns. Police data consistently show that most crime guns originate from theft or cross-border smuggling. In Ontario, nearly 70% of traced crime guns are U.S.-sourced. Toronto Police have said in some operations the figure has reached as high as 90%. The buyback does little to address this pipeline.
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Meanwhile, firearm theft from Canadian homes remains an overlooked crisis. Across the country, thousands of guns are stolen each year from insecure storage. Those stolen firearms quickly enter the black market and often resurface in violent crimes. Compounding the problem, unsecured guns in the home remain a leading factor in accidental shootings, youth access tragedies, and firearm suicides. In the United States, firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and teens. Canada is not immune to similar risks.
If the goal is truly to save lives, we need to ask: is spending more than $300 million on confiscating a small subset of firearms the most effective way forward? Or could those funds be used to support technology and innovation that actually prevents theft, monitors access, and delivers real-time intelligence to law enforcement?
This is where Canada has an opportunity to lead. The National Firearm Safety Initiative (NFSI), a Canadian non-profit I founded, is developing the Arms Recovery Unit Device (ARUD)—a smart, tamper-detecting system designed to stop unauthorized access and theft before tragedy strikes. Installed discreetly in firearm cases or storage units, ARUD transforms passive containers into active security guardians.
Here’s how it works:
Advanced GPS tracking provides real-time location data.
4K ColorX Vision cameras and audio sensors capture irrefutable evidence if tampering occurs.
Motion detection and geofencing alerts immediately notify firearm owners and law enforcement the moment a weapon is moved without authorization.
eSIM cellular connectivity ensures coverage even without Wi-Fi.
Tamper switches and sensor redundancy provide multiple layers of protection.
In testing and projection models, ARUD could achieve a theft recovery rate of up to 98%, ensuring that stolen firearms are swiftly tracked and retrieved—before they circulate on the street.
The contrast is stark: buybacks spend enormous sums removing firearms that are already secured in compliance with the law. ARUD and related technologies directly address the real vulnerabilities—stolen guns and unauthorized access—that put Canadians at risk every day.
This isn’t just about technology. It’s about measurable outcomes. Imagine if even a fraction of the buyback budget were redirected to deploying ARUD devices nationwide. Tens of thousands of guns could be actively monitored, thefts prevented, children protected, and lives saved. Unlike the one-time removal of firearms through buybacks, ARUD creates an ongoing shield—a living, breathing safety system—that works 24/7.
Some may argue that buybacks send an important “signal” about gun culture. But symbolism doesn’t stop bullets. Action does. Canada has always prided itself on being pragmatic, innovative, and data-driven. We should apply that same ethos here.
What’s more, ARUD is homegrown. Designed with Canadian engineers, built to meet Canadian legal standards, and deployed through a Canadian non-profit, it demonstrates how this country can lead the world in firearm safety innovation. Rather than pouring resources into programs with limited impact, Canada could champion a made-in-Canada technology that could save lives at home and abroad.
The Liberal government deserves credit for wanting to address gun violence. But intention must be matched by effectiveness. A buyback program, by itself, risks being more costly performance than practical protection. Real solutions exist—and Canada should seize them.
At the end of the day, this is not about politics. It’s about parents who deserve to know their children are safe. It’s about communities that deserve freedom from the fear of stolen guns circulating on their streets. And it’s about taxpayers who deserve to see their dollars invested in solutions that actually work.
We have a chance to pivot toward smarter, evidence-based safety measures. The question is whether we will spend another $300 million chasing symbolism, or whether we will invest in technology that can truly save lives.
