Montreal police intensify their fight against gun violence, say incidents dropped nearly 30 per cent
Posted June 15, 2023 5:15 pm.
The Montreal police department (SPVM) says it’s intensifying its fight against armed violence by implementing additional measures.
The announcement of new measures was made Thursday during a press conference on the fight against armed violence in Montreal. These new measures are in addition to the many efforts already being employed deployed in terms of police visibility, criminal investigations, prevention and interventions.
“The fight against gun violence is a priority for the SPVM and its various units are tackling it on several fronts,” said Montreal police chief, Fady Dagher.
Fady Dagher presents his vision for policing in the city on May 15, 2023 after his first 100 days in the role. (Alyssia Rubertucci/CityNews Image)
A decrease in gun-related incidents
Recent numbers shared during the press conference seem to indicate that the new strategy is working. During the first five months of 2023, Montreal police say, a total of 40 firearm discharge events were recorded, compared to 58 for the same period in 2022.
In addition, 16 attempted murders with firearms were recorded, compared with 20 for the same period in 2022. And, finally, 3 murders were committed using a firearm, compared with 6 for the same period in 2022.
READ: SPVM annual report: crime rates up in Montreal for 2022, compared to last five years
With this new report in mind, the statistics show an overall drop in incidents involving firearms of nearly 30 per cent, compared to the same period last year.
Police inspector David Shane, who’s in charge of communications, says that the fight against armed violence is a priority for the SPVM and its various units are tackling it on several fronts: police visibility, criminal investigations, prevention and intelligence.
Proactive, multi-faceted approach
“In addition to these measures already in place,” Shane says, “the SPVM has mobilized police officers and civilian personnel with varied expertise to form teams called collectives. Their role is to target and exert constant pressure on subjects exhibiting high-risk behaviors related to armed violence. Their priority is to deter individuals from committing violent acts and, if possible, to put an end to their criminal trajectory.”
The SPVM has been focusing on proactive and integrated field teams, made up of experts in investigation, active patrol, intelligence and prevention, whose mission, says the police department, is to prevent shots being fired in our streets and, where possible, to get our young people out of this environment.
Chief Dagher says this decrease is due to the daily work of SPVM police and civilian personnel working to reduce armed violence.
“I would like to thank them for their sustained efforts in the field to ensure the safety of Montrealers,” he said. “I would also like to highlight the important contribution of all our community, institutional and government partners involved in this shared responsibility to fight against armed violence. Reducing these events is a team success and we must stay the course.”
