A patrol of Hasidic volunteers helps the police by tracking down car thieves in the Outremont district and has even led to the discovery of vehicle caches.
“The situation is out of control… Every day something happens,” sighs Barry, the coordinator of Chaverim (“friends you can count on,” in Hebrew).
With hundreds of cars parked in the street – including several models coveted by bandits – Outremont is regularly affected by the scourge of car theft.
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“Stolen car! Toyota Highlander brown/black 2020, New York plate,” Chaverim alerted on X (Twitter) on October 5.
Earlier this year, it was a Honda Accord, a Chevrolet Suburban or a Honda CR-V – all recent – that suffered the same fate.
Normally, members of the Chaverim organization help people in the community who have a flat tire or who get stuck outside their home.
But for about a year and a half, these Hassidim have also been coming to the rescue of victims – ultra-Orthodox or not – of car thieves who are rampant in their neighborhood.
A hundred eyes and ears
The organization counts on around a hundred volunteers who take turns day and night to keep an eye on thieves.
“[Les criminels] have no idea that we are patrolling, we are dressed in civilian clothes and our cars are not marked. But whether it’s through the window at the synagogue, on our steps, or while driving, we watch them,” adds Barry.
“We really have to thank the volunteers, they cut time with their wives, their children, their work and even their sleep to ensure safety.”
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Their efforts are rewarded, according to him.
At least seven suspects were arrested by the Montreal City Police Service after a report from the organization since 2022.
An intervention by the SPVM after a call from members of Chaverim, who patrol voluntarily in Outremont.
PHOTO TWITTER Chaverim Shomrim
Caches of vehicles were also discovered thanks to their information, says Barry, without revealing the exact number.
The coordinator emphasizes that it is always the police – and not its volunteers – who intervene directly with suspects. He also praises the collaboration with the Montreal police service.
An example to follow
The Council of Hasidic Jews of Quebec is well aware of the activities of the emergency assistance organization and would like to see them replicated in other communities.
“It could discourage thieves, and convince them to find real work rather than turning to crime,” says Sam Muller, general director of the group.
Because the status quo is untenable according to him.
“It’s a real disaster. We have reached the point where our guests are hesitant to visit us with their own vehicle. This is not normal in a city like Montreal in 2023,” he emphasizes.
AND AT YOUR HOME ?
Is your municipality often the target of car thieves?
Find out on this map compiled by our Investigation Office, which allows you to locate down to the street, in certain cities, where thousands of vehicles have been stolen in Quebec since the start of the year.
Municipality (number of flights)
Number of flights to the same address
Methodology
This map of vehicle thefts in Quebec covers the year 2023, from January 1 to a date between June 30 and October 12, depending on the city.
The data comes from the police service of the City of Montreal, the city of Laval, the city of Longueuil, the police service of the City of Gatineau, the police service of the city of Quebec, the police service of the city of Lévis, the Sherbrooke police department, the city of Blainville, the Châteauguay police department, the police department of the city of Mascouche, the city of Granby, the city of Trois-Rivières, the police department of the city of Bromont, the police department of Lac des Deux-Montagnes, the police department of Memphrémagog, the police department of the city of Saint-Eustache, the police department of Saint-Jean- sur-Richelieu, the city of Repentigny, the city of Mirabel, and Équité Association. Some were obtained through access to information.
Note that municipalities may have included vehicles such as motorcycles, trucks or boats in their balance sheet. As for location data, it was transmitted to us in different forms: postal code, street corner, street or neighborhood.
Certain data concerning the towns and villages covered by the Sûreté du Québec do not appear on this map.
Data compilation: Nora T. Lamontagne and Philippe Langlois, Bureau of Investigation