Despite a significant decrease in the number of homicides in its territory, Longueuil police are reporting an increase in property crimes, particularly related to vehicle thefts on the South Shore of Montreal. Domestic violence is also increasingly prevalent among young people, according to data from 2023.
This is what emerges from the report from the Longueuil Agglomeration Police Service (SPAL), released Friday morning.
There was a 2.8% decrease in crimes against the person in 2023 compared to the previous year. Cases of homicide went from nine to four. Of the four deaths that occurred during the year, three were related to a mental health issue, according to the annual report. “This decrease demonstrates the effectiveness of our joint efforts, carried out upstream, to ensure the safety of our community,” SPAL said in a press release.
Actions against juvenile delinquency and violence in schools have borne fruit: the police force noted a 20% reduction in crime among minors last summer.
Car theft and domestic violence
Property crimes increased by 11.2% mainly due to the meteoric rise in vehicle thefts in recent years, which are up 22.7% in 2023. This trend is unfortunately not unique to our region and has been seen across the country.
According to SPAL, more than 93% of these thefts are linked to the activities of organized networks. “Although the problem extends to the entire urban area, hotel and shopping center parking lots have emerged as favorite places for thieves.”
Last December, SPAL set up a new team dedicated to domestic violence, which represents 30% of all crimes against persons in the Longueuil metropolitan area.
Noteworthy fact: the high involvement of adolescents in domestic violence cases. “Excluding offences committed in a marital and family context, more than one in five incidents (22.3%) of assault, robbery, harassment, threats and intimidation involve a person aged 12 to 17,” the report notes.