Five months after the creation of the crisis cell against insecurity in the east of the city center, local merchants note an increase in the police presence, but add that the situation remains difficult.
The surroundings of Émilie-Gamelin Park and the west of the Village retain their appearance of a disaster area on the eve of the summer season. A large itinerant population has taken up residence there.
Police officers, “there are more. There are gestures that have been made, but it’s not enough yet,” said Nicolas Plante, manager of the bar Le Date. “There is a beginning, there are things that are beginning, but it will clearly take more than that. »
A few meters from the establishment, a woman in rags is bent over herself, right in the middle of the intersection of Montcalm and Sainte-Catherine streets. A strong smell of urine hangs over several sections of the artery and the entrances to abandoned businesses serve as makeshift shelters for homeless people.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, PRESS ARCHIVES
Several businesses on Sainte-Catherine Street have been abandoned in recent years.
According to a municipal report made public on Wednesday, 40 police officers have been assigned to the Village sector and inspectors from the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) have reinforced their presence at the Berri-UQAM station. Dozens of drug dealers were arrested, and the Mobile Mediation and Social Intervention Team (EMMIS) was enhanced in the area.
“It’s true that we see more teams,” admitted Olivier Bourit, who works at Grimard Optique, but was speaking in his own name. “But there are customers who complain [de la situation] all day. Xavier Twigg, of Twigg Musique, finds that the situation “has calmed down a bit” in recent months. “It’s not that bad,” he added.
Others are less convinced. “We lost a lot of clients,” denounced Chantal Morneau, who works at Saint-Laurent Coiffure and does not find that the situation has improved. “I hurt my back last Thursday because homeless people spent the night urinating in front of our business door. I was forced to mount water boilers to clean everything. »
“An electric shock”
Valérie Plante, for her part, was pleased to have given “an electroshock” to the district since the beginning of the year to deal with the deterioration of the social and commercial situation.
“We told you that we took this sector very seriously,” said the mayor, at a press briefing at Montreal City Hall. The “shock team” created last February “meets frequently” to find solutions: it includes the City, the health network, the police and the STM, among others.
“We gave a very clear mandate to this team to arrive with short-term results for the beginning of the summer to bring back the feeling of security, as much for the people who work there, the merchants, the people who live there. and all those who frequent the area,” said the mayor.
The reinforced police presence “enabled the SPVM to increase its visibility and the intensity of its interventions through more frequent patrols, door-to-door operations, as well as preventive and repressive actions aimed at reducing incivility” , indicates the City of Montreal. “Investigation teams have also carried out operations to reduce drug crime. »
Gabrielle Rondy, of the Village Business Development Corporation, acknowledged the Plante administration’s efforts to tackle the sector’s problems, but was impatient with their persistence.
These are issues that will take time to see concrete results, but it is certain that in the Village, the merchants find that they have been patient. The last three years have been exceedingly difficult.
Gabrielle Rondy, from the Village Business Development Corporation
“That’s what’s discouraging for some of our members. »
The police are much more present, but the number of social workers is insufficient, said Mme Roundy.
“We are starting the beautiful season for the Village. Traders have a strong few months to fill their coffers,” she added.