Toronto’s homicide rate has nearly doubled and death by gunfire has nearly tripled from this same time last year, according to police crime stats.

Statistics reveal that 18 people have been shot dead so far this year, compared to 6 people at this point in 2015. Twenty eight people have been killed this year so far, compared to 14 people at this point last year.

While the overall number of shootings in the city has risen by 50 per cent, the number of shootings involving injuries has not seen a dramatic increase.It would appear police have arrested more people than they did last year.

As of March 31, when it comes to the number of arrests made in connection this year’s homicides, Toronto police say 52 per cent of cases have a suspect in custody

In the same time frame in 2015, police said 36 per cent of cases were cleared.

Speaking to CP24 Tuesday morning, Chief Mark Saunders said said the increase in gun violence “seems to be taking place in every major urban centre in North America at the moment.” He also said local police need help from federal government agencies, like the Canada Border Services Agency, to stem the flow of guns into the city and the country.

“We need to take a hard look at why people are in possession of guns and what we can do (with help) from other agencies so that there is a reduction in guns,” he said.

But he stopped short of calling for harsher penalties for illegal gun possession.

“I’m trying to look at it more holistic than that. Making an arrest and then a conviction, I don’t see that as a success, I see that more as a failure. I think we need to put more programs in place that prevent youth from even wanting to purchase a gun or having access to a gun.”

Some police officers say the spike in street violence may be because they have less interaction with the public than they have in years past.

Speaking to CTV Toronto Friday, Insp. Jim MacKrell said officers feel less inclined to stop and talk to members of the public than they did before.

“We’re being encouraged to engage people less,” MacKrell said. “It gives (criminals) the opportunity to do things without the police bothering them.”

That sentiment was echoed by Toronto Police Insp. Mike Earl last week, who suggested the reduction of this kind of interaction has emboldened gang members and other criminals to carry guns more often.

“They’re not really being interrupted, they’re not really being approached as much as they used to be,” Earl said at a press conference on Apr. 29 about a shootout and kidnapping at a downtown condo.

Toronto Police Association president Mike McCormack has also been on the record about what he believes to be behind the increase in crime.

He said a provincial ban on carding – a controversial practice where police ask members of the public who appear to be loitering for identification -- prevents officers from conducting investigations in the manner they did before.

“We’re not out there doing proactive interactions with the public and I believe that anecdotally it is having an impact on violence when police don’t know how to engage people because of the provincial policy around street checks and how we engage in a proactive way,” he said in an interview with CP24 in January, shortly after the ban was announced.