Several indicators on crime and security in Montreal are on the rise, in the 2023 annual report presented Wednesday by the senior officers of the Police Service of the City of Montreal (SPVM).
The statistics revealed by the director of the SPVM and his deputies confirm the increase in motor vehicle thefts (+22.7% in one year), crimes against the person (+29.4% compared to 2018), (10% in one year), arson (52% since 2018) and hate crimes (353 recorded last year, including an increase of 174% for religious reasons).
The increasing danger of roads for people, particularly pedestrians (+8% since 2022), also figures in the black toll. On the other hand, gun crimes have fallen by a quarter in the last two years.
The 911 center received more than 1.6 million calls in 2023, including one in four directed to the SPVM. Last year, some 10,350 calls were deemed to be of maximum priority. The average time to respond to requests continued to increase (by approximately 30 seconds in a year) to now reach 6 minutes 23 seconds, this delay being explained in part by the lack of staff and by traffic jams. However, response times would be two to three times higher in other large Canadian cities.
These findings are taken from the 2023 Annual Report presented before the members of the City’s Permanent Public Safety Commission. The country’s police forces usually present their annual report in the fall. The SPVM is an exception with its presentation at the end of spring.
“Crimes against the person are on the rise here as elsewhere,” noted the leader, Fady Dagher, from the outset. He contextualized his report by offering in the introduction a summary of the significant events of 2023.
He himself arrived in office at the beginning of the year. In March, there was a tragic arson in Old Montreal, then another ice storm. In June, the SPVM signed a collective agreement with its police officers and unveiled a new organization chart in October. Hamas terrorist attacks and the Israeli response then began to be felt here.
“The figures presented worry us,” said Yves Francoeur, president of the Brotherhood of Police Officers of Montreal, after the presentation. 60% of metro users say that it is less safe than 5 years ago. What is the game plan to bring back the feeling of security? »
“The 2023 priority focused on the attractiveness and retention of staff,” said Mr. Dagher. The workforce issue is a major crisis and will remain so for several years. » The SPVM currently employs 4,421 police officers and 1,310 civilians, but 432 positions remain vacant. The police workforce is 65% men and 35% women, and the 2023 hires have not changed these proportions. The SPVM has the second highest female representation in Canada, noted the director.
The police force remains 85% from the white majority, in a very multicultural city. Barely 1% of the workforce comes from First Nations, 5% from visible minorities and 6% from ethnic groups (particularly allophones).
To recruit, the SPVM covers the tuition fees of students at the National Police Academy and makes hiring promises with a five-year contract. Working conditions have improved with the new collective agreement.