Unsubstantiated calls to 911 for shootings have exploded in Montreal and Laval, a sign that the surge in violence is beginning to undermine citizens’ sense of safety, experts say.
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In the metropolis, the police moved for alleged shots which ultimately had no basis on 893 occasions in 2021, reveal data obtained from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM).
This is more than triple compared to the balance sheet of 2017.
On the Laval side, no less than 119 such calls were recorded in 2021. For comparison, there had been none five years earlier.
“In a context of armed violence that is highly publicized, there is an insecurity that sets in,” recognizes Manuel Couture, spokesperson for the SPVM.
With shootings still high, the trend continues to be upward for unfounded calls in 2022, the data shows.
Montreal and Laval patrol officers have already been alerted for no reason by citizens 219 and 25 times, respectively.
“The more shootings there are, the lower people’s sense of security is, the more they are on edge, the more they will tend to call to report gunshots, when basically it’s other noises” , summarizes the criminologist and columnist at Log Maria Mourani.
In priority
These hundreds of interventions, given priority by the police, can be triggered by fireworks or even by a tire that has burst.
More recently, at the end of April, several SPVM vehicles were dispatched to the Rivière-des-Prairies district in eastern Montreal for a possible shooting. Part of 65th Avenue had been closed, and even a dog handler was deployed.
And yet, it was simply a piece of plastic thrown at the window of a house, it was confirmed to the Log.
On-site checks
“I still think that the city of Montreal is safe, but one thing is certain, it is that the feeling of security is declining,” comments Stéphane Wall, former instructor in the judicious use of force at the SPVM.
In all cases of gunshot calls, patrol officers must do spot checks for bullet holes and witnesses, a process that can take several minutes.
If only one call is made to 911, there’s a better chance the incident is unfounded, Wall said.
worst case scenario
However, as the police prioritize the safety of citizens, “we always operate with the idea that this is the worst scenario that is happening,” he says.
The former patrolman points, for example, to the fact that some criminals will intentionally cause detonations in one place to mislead the police, with the aim of committing an offense elsewhere.
“I don’t want to discourage people from calling 911. Please feel free to do so. We are going to move, we are going to do the checks, insists Manuel Couture.
Unsubstantiated calls for shootings
* As of May 26
** As of May 15
Sources: Service de police de la Ville de Montréal and Service de police de Laval