Montreal’s police chief cautiously rejoices in a 30% decrease in gun violence on the island compared to last year, but he still recalls that summer has only just begun.
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It was in a half-fig, half-grape tone that Fady Dagher appeared before the media on Thursday morning to take stock of the efforts in the fight against armed violence.
He immediately announced that he had recorded 40 firearm discharge events since the start of the year, compared to 58 for the same period in 2022.
The wave of decline is also noticeable in attempted murders and murders, he explained.
“Let’s not be too happy,” he warned. Returned in October or November, there we will talk. We may talk about success. But now it’s too early.”
There seems to have been an “electroshock” at the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) since March, a particularly bloody month when it comes to gun violence. Indeed, in just over four weeks, more than 20 gun crimes had been recorded, half the toll to date.
David Shane.
Photo PIERRE-PAUL POULIN/THE MONTREAL JOURNAL/QMI AGENCY
The “collectives”
Among the actions taken to curb this momentum, Inspector David Shane, head of communications, reported an effort to decentralize since April, that is to say the formation of smaller teams deployed to the four corners of the ‘island.
“We recently decided to mobilize police officers and civilian personnel to form field teams called collectiveexplained Inspector Shane.
These small units have targeted a handful of individuals at risk of contributing to gun violence since their establishment. More traditional actions are taken, such as shadowing and intelligence. But others, more innovative too, like going to meet the families of these individuals to raise their awareness.
Among this core of targeted people, many are minors, lamented Chief Dagher.
“We see a trivialization of weapons from the age of 15, 16 or 17. You have to work from the age of 8, 10, 12. We have to prepare the next generation. It is absolutely necessary that a police service think medium, long term.
The big boss of the SPVM has also expressed the great dismay he experienced in April, when he accompanied the intervention group to the scene of a search and that he himself saw young teenagers go out with weapons.
“They are children,” he said, visibly appalled.