Montreal | The SPVM must better tackle hate crimes, says the opposition

To improve the reporting of hate crimes, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) must offer better tools to victims who want to file a complaint.

Isabelle Ducas
The Press

This is what the opposition is asking City Hall, which points out that only a tiny proportion of crimes and incidents are reported to the authorities and that online hate incidents are not compiled by the SPVM.

“Social isolation and the strong influence of social networks have favored the multiplication of hateful acts, among others towards cultural communities. At the same time, the judicial system and police intervention have not adapted to this reality. There are many structural brakes. We have to give ourselves tools, both to encourage denunciations and to deal with complaints,” said Sonny Moroz, municipal councilor on the Ensemble Montréal team, at a press conference on Thursday.

According to the latest SPVM activity report, hate incidents and crimes decreased in 2021 compared to the previous year, by 10% and 21% respectively. However, they were up sharply in 2020: + 107% for hate incidents and + 53% for hate crimes.

In its report, the SPVM nevertheless warns: “The low number of files makes any statistical analysis risky,” it is noted.

According to the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, barely 1% of hate incidents, speeches and crimes in Canada are reported to the police, reports Ensemble Montreal.

Many victims are not comfortable filing a complaint in person or on the phone because they have difficulty expressing themselves, notes Alba Zúñiga Ramos, municipal councilor for Ensemble Montréal.

She also regrets the fact that the SPVM’s Hate Incidents and Crimes Module has only five officers, which is largely insufficient, according to her.

“The SPVM needs to be more proactive in getting closer to the members of the communities most vulnerable to hate crimes, gaining their trust and helping them file complaints, especially those who experience social and linguistic barriers and who are unaware of their rights. asks Fo Niemi, director general of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations, who took part in the Ensemble Montréal press conference.

The opposition party will table a motion at the next city council on Monday to ask the SPVM to focus more on this problem.

The SPVM, for its part, affirms that it takes hate crimes and incidents very seriously and that the number of police officers within the MICH is currently sufficient to deal with all the cases that are reported.

A spokesperson for the police department says MICH works to create one-to-one connections with diverse communities and encourages victims to file complaints online, at their neighborhood station or by calling 911.