SPVM annual report: crime rates up in Montreal for 2022, compared to last five years

"The SPVM has made the fight against gun violence its number one priority," said Montreal police Insp. David Shane, speaking about the force's 2022 report - released on Friday. It shows violent crime is up in the city, as well as car thefts.

Montreal police released their annual report Friday, showing an crime is up in the city since 2017, but they feel it has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The jump in crime was seen last year, with increases in the number of homicides, sexual assaults, firearms infractions and car thefts compared with 2017.

The report reveals that more than 100,000 criminal offences were committed in 2022, an increase of 14 per cent compared to the average of the last five years.

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Crimes against individuals have jumped by 21 per cent since 2017. Homicides are up by 43 per cent, while assaults have increased by 28 per cent. Sexual assaults are by 12 per cent.

(Credit: Martin Daigle, CityNews image)

“The first highlight to emerge from our activity report concerns crimes against the person. This crime category increased increased by nine per cent between 2021 and 2022 and by 21 per cent over the last five years,” said SPVM spokesperson, Insp. David Shane. “What’s encouraging, though, however, is that the type of crime against the person that has seen the greatest increase is a common assault.”
“You need to take time to analyze these statistics carefully before drawing any conclusions,” he added. “What our specialists have pointed out in collating these statistics is that they often resemble those we have before the pandemic.”

An increase of 29 per cent was seen when it came to crimes committed last year against individuals and involving a firearm, totaling 563.

Compared to 2017, gunshot incidents not involving a victim increased significantly by 87 per cent.

“We need to bear in mind that we’ve gone from 37 homicides in 2021 to 41 in 2022, and the SPVM has made the fight against gun violence its number one priority,” Shane said.

“Gunshots that were that occurred in Montreal are also following a downward curve with numbers going from 144 in 2021 to 128 in 2022, a reduction of about 11 per cent,” he added. “The number of firearms recovered by the SPVM in 2022 is also higher than the average for the last five years, we seized 721 firearms, at least almost 15 per cent more than in 2021.”

Montreal police on the scene after a woman was stabbed in LaSalle on Sept. 8, 2022. (CREDIT: Martin Daigle/CityNews)

The police received 20,000 more calls in 2022, compared to 2017, for a total of 436,000 calls in 2022.

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The report suggests the repercussions of the pandemic are to be considered with the crime rate increase.

2022 Activity Report SPVM en Final EMBARGO on Scribd

“Over the years, the SPVM has had to meet many significant challenges in terms of public safety and the fight against crime,” said SPVM chief, Fady Dagher, in a press release. “The COVID-19 pandemic, of course, is one of them, as is the fight against gun violence. Navigating in a constantly changing criminal and social context requires an exceptional ability to adapt. In 2022, our police and civilian personnel once again demonstrated that they have this ability. Leading such competent and committed teams is a great source of pride for me. I have no doubt that by building on these strengths and continuing our collaboration with our partners, we will live up to the expectations of all Montrealers.”

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