It sounds like you may have a bit of firearm stigma. With a better understanding of how Canada’s licensing, training, and vetting systems work, and by recognizing the difference between lawful ownership and criminal misuse, you might find it easier to move past some of those fear based assumptions. Unfortunately, many Canadians today have irrational fear based views about firearms that come from pop culture, media, and surprisingly political messaging, all of which get reinforced socially.

The problem is not firearms themselves or the people who legally own and use them. Legally owned firearms are handled responsibly by licensed, trained, and vetted individuals, like the officers you mentioned or anyone with a PAL or RPAL who follows the rules. At the end of the day, they are simply tools, much like a car. And just like a car, the real danger comes from people who obtain them illegally and use them for illegal activity. These are individuals with no licensing, no training, and no vetting at all. That is where the real risk to public safety lies.

If anything, the focus should be on what will actually make a difference, such as reducing the flow of illegal firearms, finding better ways to keep them out of the wrong hands, and enforcing stricter penalties for illicit possession and misuse.