Montreal police chief Fady Dagher acknowledges that “more reinforcements and efforts” will be needed in the Village, where the sense of security is weakened by vandalism and problems related to homelessness. The Plante administration is due to unveil a strategy on Thursday to secure the sector.
Fady Dagher, who presented the 2022 results of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) to elected Montreal officials on Tuesday morning, said he understood the discontent of certain merchants who are considering closing their terraces in the face of security problems.
The head of the SPVM claims to have gone to a restaurant in the area twice in the past few weeks, to eat there, on weekends. “I have seen what you are talking about, but I have also seen interventions. I saw people working in the field. We’re going to need a little more reinforcements and more effort at that level. We understand everyone, but it’s a vulnerable population and the human side will be very important. And that takes time,” he insisted.
On the sidelines of a public activity held on Tuesday, Mayor Valérie Plante revealed that a “strategy” would be presented Thursday for the Village sector. This policy, argues the mayor, was planned “long before anything that is happening now”.
“We take this issue very seriously. We will not give up and we will continue to support everyone, ”said the mayor, recalling that 40 additional police officers have been patrolling the area for a few weeks now. Their impact “will take some time to materialize”, she nevertheless temporized.
Patience, the solutions are coming
Fady Dagher calls on traders to be patient. ” Frankly, [aux commerçants], I would say to them: don’t let go, in the sense that we’re going to succeed, but it’s going to take a little more time. We have already agreed with the City that we will add more targeted operations or interventions towards certain people, ”he explained on Tuesday.
He maintains that since February, his troops have put “more than 5000 hours of patrol” in the Village and carried out more than 2700 interventions sometimes repressive, sometimes to enter into contact with the communities. “We also continued to raise awareness with traders to tell them: as soon as there is something, call us”, maintains Mr. Dagher.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Fady Dagher, head of the SPVM
It’s such a sensitive environment with great vulnerability. […] These people are in crisis, are very vulnerable, have little sleep and use drugs, in short, there are all sorts of things that make it difficult.
Fady Dagher, head of the SPVM
The police chief therefore asks the population and traders “a little patience”, promising to provide solutions soon. “We will succeed as we go forward. And I’m sure we will find solutions, but they are not immediate, it will take a little time. »
Summer has barely begun when, faced with the growth of homelessness, the police chief is already apprehensive about the next cold season. “Our ambition is for it to happen either this year or next year. There, winter is coming, we will also have to think about the whole aspect of the subways, that is, how we will live with roaming in the subway. There is this whole chain that must also be prepared for 2024-2025, ”continued Mr. Dagher.
Fracture due to the pandemic
Since the pandemic, Valérie Plante believes that a “significant fracture has taken place in the east of the city center”. “As long as we tell ourselves that people who do not have a roof, that they wander in the city, we will not succeed either”, she however warned. “Far be it from me to give responsibility to Quebec, because we are doing what is necessary, but there are vulnerable people in our streets who must be taken care of, by putting a roof over their heads. »
His administration claims to have “also increased the number of social workers and street workers since April” in the Village, among other things “to tackle the drug network and ensure that the subway entrances are safe” .
“We hear the merchants, we know it’s difficult and we also want to do everything in the short term so that the summer goes well for them,” added the head of public security on the executive committee, Alain Vaillancourt, when ‘ asked about the subject on Tuesday.
With Isabelle Ducas, The Press