Gun crime down 30% in Montreal this year: police data
Posted October 17, 2023 12:10 pm.
Last Updated October 18, 2023 9:15 am.
Firearm-related crimes committed in the first nine months of this year in Montreal were down nearly 30 per cent compared to 2022, according to recent statistics shared by police.
From January until the end of September, Montreal police say there were eight murders using a firearm – down from 14 over the same period last year (44 per cent decrease).
Police data show there were 28 attempted murders using a firearm – down from 40 in 2022.
And there were 73 incidents of a weapon being fired – down from 101.
Overall, it’s a drop of 29.7 per cent all incidents combined.
“The encouraging results confirm that the decrease in armed violence events, which was noted from last January to May, has continued over the past four months,” the SPVM said in a news release.
The SPVM is crediting its policing strategies – such as teams combining officers with “civilian personnel with varied expertise” – for the downward trend.
“Working from intelligence, these teams focus on individuals exhibiting high-risk behaviors when it comes to gun violence,” the SPVM said. “The collectives also go to meet recent or potential victims to avoid acts of revenge.”
