Homicide and crimes against the person involving the use or presence of a firearm increased significantly in Montreal last year, reveals the results of the activities of the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) made public on Monday.
The annual report shows 25,129 crimes against the person in 2021, up from 22,984 the previous year, and a 17.3% increase in five years. This upward trend in crime can be observed everywhere in Canada, underlines the SPVM in its annual report.
“Homicides and attempted murders have increased significantly and the issue of armed violence most certainly contributes to this picture,” notes the SPVM. “In fact, half of the homicides and attempted murders committed on SPVM territory in 2021 involved the presence or use of a firearm. »
In 2021, the SPVM counted 516 crimes against the person associated with the presence or use of a weapon, compared to 437 in 2020, an increase of 18%. Of this number, there were 17 homicides, compared to 5 in 2020. The number of firearm discharges also exploded, from 71 to 144 in one year. This observation could be linked to the significant increase in calls from citizens on this subject, underlines the SPVM. “Beyond a real increase in incidents of this type, we can think that the population is also more inclined to communicate with the SPVM when it hears gunshots,” it says.
However, the SPVM seized fewer weapons than the previous year, namely 628, while this number reached 744 in 2020. Weapons surrendered voluntarily increased slightly, from 321 to 331 for the same period.
Sexual assaults on the rise
For their part, denunciations of sexual assault have increased by 32.2% compared to the average of the last five years. “The media coverage of cases brought before the courts, the filing of commission reports whose rebuild trustand a greater general awareness of the population have certainly contributed to an increase in denunciations to the police,” notes the SPVM.
Last year in Quebec, 26 women were murdered, in a marital context for the vast majority of victims. In Montreal, five women lost their lives in these circumstances. “The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the violence suffered by the victims are indisputable”, indicates the SPVM, which evokes “the urgency to act”. Last week, he also took stock of the work done by the new Section specialized in domestic violence, which last year handled nearly 7,000 cases related to domestic violence.
Hate crimes perpetrated on the basis of ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation have declined over the past year. Similarly, property crimes, including break and enters, hampered by the presence of residents in their homes due to the pandemic, have registered a decrease. On the other hand, vehicle thefts have jumped, with an increase of 43.9% since 2016.
The number of 911 calls received also decreased slightly.
During the last municipal election campaign, the question of police personnel was the subject of lively debate between the main parties. Currently, the SPVM has 4,523 police officers, in addition to 1,294 civilian employees, while the authorized maximum is 4,900 police officers. A total of 377 police positions are vacant. In 2021, 222 police officers were hired, including 81 women. These account for nearly 35% of the workforce.
Last year, police forces were deployed for 520 demonstrations. The Stanley Cup playoffs alone accounted for 45% of the total protest bill, the report points out.
The SPVM report will be the subject of a public presentation on Wednesday afternoon before the Commission de la sécurité publique of the City of Montreal.