Legault stresses public safety in meeting with Mayor Plante

Premier François Legault and Mayor Valérie Plante meeting in Montreal officially for the first time since she was re-elected earlier this month. Gun violence was high on the agenda – even if the pair were meeting about the integrated Pie-IX rapid bus project.

Three teens have been killed in Montreal this year, two shootings and a stabbing death. Legault saying all levels of government have a responsibility to keep the public safe.

“The three of us have some work to do. Municipal level, provincial level, and federal level, we need to make sure we have more police people, we have to make sure we have a strong group fighting against gangs, street gangs, and we also need to banish [handguns] and have better protection on the borders – and for that, we need the help of the federal government. We are ready to work with the federal government to do more,” said Legault.

Also adding that Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault will be making more announcements on fighting gun violence in the coming weeks. Saying there is work to do short term and long term with community groups and others to reach young Montrealers.

This comes the same day as Montreal Police say they arrested 14 people, between the ages of 16 and 41, and seized more than a dozen firearms, after a series of raids over the last eight days across multiple boroughs on the island.