Hit by a crisis of homelessness and insecurity since the start of the pandemic, the Village is now “on the right track,” assured Thursday the mayor of Montreal.
A year after the creation of a crisis unit dedicated to neighborhood problems, Valérie Plante argued – without providing supporting data – that the efforts are bearing fruit.
“Today, what I see […] “It’s getting better,” argued Valérie Plante, after a tour of the neighborhood. “I can’t tell you that everything is settled. I can’t tell you that the situation is perfect, because it’s not true. »
Mme Plante attributes this improvement to the work of a crisis unit created last year to bring the police, the health network, merchants and the City around the same table. “Everyone brings their hand to the table so that everyone feels good about living there and living there. »
The spokesperson for the sector’s commercial development company indicated that she noted the efforts made by the City of Montreal, but that she was waiting until the summer to judge whether the situation had actually improved. “There is good news happening in the neighborhood, but it is not yet enough to dislodge all the negative happening in the Village,” said Gabrielle Rondy.
“Traders, on a daily basis, are exhausted because the issues have become more complex for four years,” she added. “It’s certain that if you ask traders if they see a difference with June 2023, they will say: no. »
Drug trafficking “concerns” the police
The head of the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) argued that his officers had worked to direct homeless people who frequent the area to community services, rather than handing out tickets. “Citizens told us: we see the difference, we feel it,” reported Fady Dagher.
On the other hand, drug trafficking in the sector still “concerns” Mr. Dagher. “There is drug trafficking, there are especially bad drugs on the ground, extremely dangerous mixtures. We continue to work with police officers specializing in the area,” he said. Arrests of suspected traffickers continue, added Mr. Dagher.
“The feeling of insecurity is still palpable,” said Benoit Langevin, opposition elected official, via press release. There is still a lack of psychosocial workers in the Village. Businesses continue to close one after the other. This massacre could have been avoided if Projet Montréal had been proactive. »