Crimes up 11%
The Montreal City Police Service (SPVM) announced last week that it had succeeded in reducing armed violence by 26% in the last year, led by homicides. However, the successes in the fight against firearms overshadow the rest of the crimes which continue to increase. A compilation of preliminary data from the 29 neighborhood stations (PDQ) shows that, as a whole, crimes against the person and against property increased by 11% in 2023. This increase in crime is also felt in the emergency centers, the number of 911 calls having jumped 8% last year. The SPVM preferred to be cautious about these data, emphasizing that they are “preliminary”: the final results for 2023 will be published in the coming months. That said, “measures are being taken on several levels, notably [sur le plan] repression and prevention” to tackle all forms of crime, assures Mélanie Bergeron, spokesperson for the SPVM.
Twice as many assaults and frauds
Two crimes in particular are experiencing strong growth, with the number of assaults and fraud having doubled over the past 10 years. Last year, the SPVM had to intervene in almost 50 cases of assault every day on average, making it the most frequent crime against the person in the metropolis. More targeted, fraud of all kinds has also significantly increased. If in 2010, there were barely 5,200 cases, this number increased to more than 10,330 in 2023. “Fraud committed with service cards, such as bank cards, could be largely responsible for the increase observed. Fraudsters are also using increasingly sophisticated techniques, particularly with regard to phishing,” underlines Mélanie Bergeron.
Beyond car theft
Car thefts have made a lot of headlines in recent weeks, but it is thefts overall that are showing sharp increases. The SPVM recorded more than 25,000 “simple thefts” last year (up 7%) and more than 3,000 qualified thefts (+ 26%). The most impressive increase, however, remains that of vehicle thefts. Nearly 12,000 vehicles were stolen from their owners last year, compared to less than 10,000 in 2022. “It is possible that inflation had an influence on the increases observed,” estimates Mme Bergeron regarding robberies and break-ins. “The rise in the cost of living and the financial insecurity caused by inflation may have encouraged some people to commit theft. However, this is only a hypothesis,” she maintains.
The road safety record is improving
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The road toll seems to be improving in Montreal.
Despite the overall increase in crimes, a glimmer of hope remains in terms of safety, since the road toll does indeed seem to be improving. The Montreal police force reports 27 deaths and 118 serious injuries in 2023, compared to 30 deaths and 125 serious injuries the previous year. The data indicates that the SPVM seems to have tightened the screws on the drivers. The number of motorists fined for dangerous driving more than doubled in 2023, going from 177 to 390 cases in the space of one year.
Too much focus on guns?
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
The police have undoubtedly “put energy” into targeting armed violence, believes a lawyer specializing in criminal law.
For the lawyer specializing in criminal law Me Nada Boumeftah, the figures of The Press demonstrate “that the SPVM has probably focused its energy on a very targeted type of crime, namely armed violence”. “This in itself is very noble, but at the same time, police officers should not neglect any crime and never put the main energy on a single crime. Crime never sleeps, no matter what its nature, and if other crimes continue to increase during this time, then serious questions need to be asked,” she argues. The lawyer affirms that the “police must be able to do their work without pitfalls”, whether political or regulatory, “by ensuring that all investigators and patrol officers have the necessary resources, regardless of their assignment”.
With Pierre-André Normandin, The Press