At a time when the metropolis is facing a temporary upsurge in the number of shootings, the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) wants to be reassuring and ensures that it puts all the necessary means in place in anticipation of the summer season, which rhymes well often with an increase in gun violence.
For nearly three weeks, shootings have accumulated in the metropolis, increasing to 25 the number of discharges by firearms recorded by the SPVM since the beginning of the year, against 17 at the same period last year.
It is in this context that Inspector David Shane wanted to meet the press on Wednesday afternoon to reassure the public who might be worried about this recent increase in the number of shootings. “We are well aware of the concerns,” assured Mr. Shane.
The latter thus wanted to put this increase in the number of shootings into perspective, pointing out that the number of attempted murders by firearms is for its part decreasing, 12 events of this type having been noted since the beginning of the year, against 15 in the same period last year. One firearm homicide has also occurred since the start of 2023, compared to three during the first months of 2022.
“But every incident of gun violence is one too many,” Shane agreed, especially as the arrival of the summer season could contribute to an upsurge in gun violence, he said.
Mr. Shane thus assured that the SPVM is stepping up its efforts to tackle this phenomenon.
The police force has notably seized 135 firearms since the beginning of the year, against 121 at the same time last year. The SPVM also arrested two more people than at the same time last year in connection with firearm violence, for a total of 78 individuals.
The police force also ensures that it is focusing on the prevention of armed violence, in particular by increasing awareness-raising interventions in schools in the metropolis.