Ensemble Montréal looking to improve public safety

Mayoral candidate and leader of Ensemble Montréal, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, announced her party’s plan to improve public safety if they win the upcoming municipal election.

The plan called 10 Actions in 100 Days: Strengthening Safety in Every Neighbourhood will first look to create watch committees in partnership with the SPVM during the first 100 days in office.

Ensemble Montréal says this comes as residents hesitate to visit certain parks, public spaces, or metro stations at specific hours due to rising insecurity and criminal activity.

The Neighbourhood Watch Committees will be made up of community organizations, residents, and members of civil society.

The committees will serve as platforms for dialogue and collaboration, helping to identify safety concerns and propose practical, localized solutions in neighbourhoods most affected by insecurity.

“Montrealers don’t always feel safe in the metro or across the city, and I understand them. Few things matter more than feeling safe, which is why today we’re committing to doing more for Montrealers and their families. If we want things to change, we need to act starting November 2,” said Martinez Ferrada.

The measures will reportedly build on previously announced plans to increase safety and better equip police officers, by adding the following:

• Increased funding to $60 million over four years into youth violence prevention projects;
• Extend opening hours at select sports and cultural facilities and introduce late-night programming for youth aged 16;
• Improving lighting in parks and public spaces;
• Double the number of police and social worker teams;
• Creating a voluntary registry of private security cameras in urban areas to support police investigations; and,
• Installing more cameras in public spaces.

“Safety isn’t just about police presence, it’s also about proximity and trust. By working hand in hand with residents, community organizations, and the SPVM,
we’ll help neighbourhoods regain their peace of mind,” said Gabriel Retta, Ensemble Montréal spokesperson for public safety and candidate for city councillor in Saint-Léonard Ouest.

Additionally, Ensemble Montréal will look to improve safety around Montreal’s highways by looking to secure the surrounding areas, intersections, and underpasses, in collaboration with the Government of Quebec, and by improving the city’s most dangerous pedestrian crossings and increasing the number of school crossing guards.