The existence of gun rentals in Toronto is not a new phenomenon, according to police, but one that signals an increasing gang presence on city streets.
"I don't think it's something new; it's something that's resurging," said Sergeant Joe Gataveckas.

"Wherever there's gangs, there's guns."

Detectives in 23 Division, which encompasses Toronto's northwest Rexdale neighbourhood, are investigating reports that weapons are rented out for as much as $250 an hour from private homes and nightclubs.

They believe some of these guns have been used in recent gang-related shootings in two housing projects.

Officers have seized at least six guns in the last three weeks, one of which was taken from a 13-year-old boy accused of providing a handgun used in a shooting last week.
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Those problems have been manifesting in gunfire throughout the city in recent weeks, prompting Julian Fantino, Toronto's Chief of Police, to deploy specialized units to concentrate on guns, gangs and drugs.

The chief was furious with two incidents this month, when officers were fired on during a patrol and pelted with bottles after responding to a shooting.

The city has seen 12 gun-related murders this year, five since the beginning of July. In 2002, nearly half the city's killings involved firearms, compared with 23% in 1998.
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The guns are rented only to those who have been recommended by someone the broker knows. The network is closely guarded and seemingly impossible for police to infiltrate.
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Gun rental is a lucrative business for those who buy inexpensive weapons south of the border. Once the weapon is in hand, they can rent it out repeatedly for hundreds of dollars to those who do not want the trouble of buying a weapon or disposing of it.