Gun violence in Montreal | 275 million and 450 additional agents over five years

The government of Quebec announced Saturday afternoon the injection of 250 million dollars over five years to fight against armed violence in the metropolis, sum to which the City of Montreal will add 25 million. In addition, 450 police officers will be hired.

Delphine Belzile
The Press

Lea Carrier
The Press

This announcement comes at the end of a week where two murders in the space of 30 minutes, in broad daylight and in public places, have put armed violence back in the forefront of the news.

The Government of Quebec is committed to providing the City of Montreal with $50 million a year for five years to ensure an “increased” presence of police officers on Montreal territory, announced Geneviève Guilbault.

Each year, some 45 million will be paid to the metropolis to provide the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) with 225 additional officers.

“Putting more money into the police is the first step. Repression must be used to reduce violence and stabilize the situation,” stresses Francis Langlois, member of the Observatory on the United States of the Raoul-Dandurand Chair, specialist in the issue of firearms.

However, the stick alone is not enough, believes Francis Langlois. Precisely, 5 million will also be earmarked each year for the Mobile Mediation and Social Intervention Team in Montreal to respond to events related to mental health.

According to Mr. Langlois, it is the financing of second-line resources that will be “the most profitable in the long term”, provided that it is sustainable, and that they work hand in hand with the police.

The City of Montreal is also taking the initiative to increase its public security resources: Montreal plans to inject $25 million over five years, a budget intended in particular for the Mobile Mediation and Social Intervention Team, for the prevention of armed violence. According to the Mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, nearly 30% of the calls received by the SPVM are related to mental health problems.

Some 225 police officers will also be hired thanks to an investment by the City, for a total of 450 new officers on Montreal territory within five years.

“The fight against armed violence is the top priority at the SPVM,” assured the acting director general of the police force, Sophie Roy. Criminals do not hesitate to use their weapon in public places and we will not tolerate it. She argued that the police “need to be shown our support.”

On Twitter, the Montreal Police Brotherhood, which earlier this week denounced the drop in staff at the SPVM, welcomed the authorities’ effort to increase the number of police officers and “restore the population’s sense of security. “.

The National Police Academy of Quebec will also contribute. Nearly 72 additional places will be added to train police officers who can join the SPVM. Each year, 556 recruits are trained, indicated Geneviève Guilbault.

“This announcement demonstrates our ability to join forces and act in a targeted manner while respecting everyone’s skills,” added Chantal Rouleau, Minister responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal region.

These new investments are in addition to the $200 million allocated by Quebec to the CENTAURE project, the Quebec strategy to fight against armed violence, underlined Geneviève Guilbault.

The SPVM also increased Thursday the staff of the Eclipse squad, a team specializing in the fight against crime and violence on the island of Montreal. A new anti-firearms squad will also be created around September 12, reported The Presswho had access to the content of a meeting of SPVM executives.

Recall that the Legault government suspected the City of Montreal of having used funds from Quebec intended for the fight against crime for other expenses. The Mayor of Montreal, quoted in The Pressimmediately defended the integrity of his cabinet, stressing that his financial management was “irreproachable”.