Three mayoral candidates in the eastern boroughs of the metropolis within the Ensemble Montréal training unveiled on Saturday a series of commitments aimed at making this sector safer and preventing cases of harassment in buses and the network. from the metro of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM).
The outgoing mayor of Montreal-Nord, Christine Black, as well as Karine Boivin-Roy and Lyne Laperrière, respectively aspiring mayors of Mercier – Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and Rivière-des-Prairies – Pointe-aux-Trembles, invited the press under a gray sky on Saturday morning at the Esplanade of the Olympic Park. “The concern is palpable,” Ms. Boivin-Roy immediately dropped, referring to the security issues facing these three boroughs in the north and east of Montreal.
The candidates’ commitments aim in particular to counter shootings, cohabitation problems related to homelessness, as well as street harassment and domestic violence in this sector and elsewhere in Montreal. These promises have not been quantified, since Ensemble Montreal will publish its financial framework next week, said Ms. Boivin Roy.
Crime prevention
The party is therefore committed to granting multi-year funding to organizations that contribute to crime prevention in Montreal, particularly among young people, so that they no longer have to wait each year for an envelope from the City. Their service offer will also be extended throughout the metropolitan area, instead of targeting certain boroughs. Denis Coderre’s training also promises to increase the number of street workers in Montreal-North and to give residents of this borough access to the Tandem program, which offers expertise in preventing mischief, such as break-ins. in homes. This service is currently offered in certain boroughs of the metropolis, but not in Montreal-North.
“It creates a glaring shortage and an inequity in the territory,” said Ms. Black.
The latter also deplored that the city-center, led by the administration of Valérie Plante for the past four years, has “blocked” funding to allow the construction of a sports center in Montreal-North. The Projet Montreal party, which nominates Will Prosper for mayor of this district, waited until the election campaign to promise to carry out this project, lamented Ms. Black. However, sports infrastructures are essential to “offer an alternative to crime” to young people, she argued.
“It’s really scandalous,” railed Ms. Black, who lamented “the lack of leadership” of the head of Project Montreal. Mr. Coderre’s party is also committed to creating a football and soccer field in Henri-Bourassa Park, in Montreal-North.
In terms of cohabitation with people experiencing homelessness, the three candidates for Denis Coderre’s training reiterated their party’s commitment to double the number of patrollers within the Psychosocial Emergency Support Team and the ” Mobile referral and intervention team in roaming. In addition to creating new sites where homeless people can consume alcohol in complete safety, the party also undertakes to create 1,800 permanent housing units offering psychosocial support services. These would emerge as part of the 50,000 housing of all types promised by the training within four years, if it is brought to power in November, said Ms. Boivin-Roy.
In order to prevent cases of racial and social profiling on the part of SPVM agents, whose training aims to increase the number of at least 250 in the short term, the watch committees already in place to facilitate relations between the police and various communities will be revised, also indicates Ensemble Montreal. Ms. Black also sees that the use of portable cameras by SPVM agents – a measure that both Ensemble Montréal and Projet Montréal promise to put in place – will help to counter cases of profiling by the police.
“We must promote community police, close to the people, who know our neighborhoods. It’s so fundamental in Montreal-North and Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles, ”said Lyne Laperrière.
An application against harassment
Ensemble Montréal is also concerned about the phenomenon of street harassment, which manifests itself in particular in the STM bus and metro network. Several people – in particular women – are thus regularly victims of voyeurism, touching or even exhibitionism during their travels. 71 crimes of a sexual nature committed in public transport were reported to the Montreal police last year, in the midst of the pandemic.
To tackle this issue, Ensemble Montréal is proposing to create a mobile application that would allow Montrealers to denounce cases of harassment suffered in the metro and STM buses. The party also suggests discussing with the transport organization to set up an awareness campaign for its employees that would allow them to recognize cases of harassment and react appropriately in such circumstances.
“It has to be a reflex that is automatic and it really has to be inculcated in the working practices of STM officers, so it will be discussed with the STM,” added Ms. Boivin-Roy, when questioned. subject in the margins of this press conference. The elected representative of Ensemble Montréal thus mentioned the possibility of collaboration between the STM and community groups in the creation of this training, or even the potential use of “a professional trainer” to lead this awareness campaign.