Fight against armed violence

Combating a culture of trivializing violence and firearms needs to be tackled as a shared responsibility, meaning with community and institutional partners. It is in this context that the Ville de Montréal and the SPVM organized in 2022 the Forum montréalais pour la lutte contre la violence armée : s’unir pour la jeunesse (french only).

Building bridges with partners is crucial in the fight against this phenomenon which the police cannot solve alone. Prevention and repression are not in conflict with each other, they go hand in hand.

Some help and support services

• Crime Victims Assistance Centres (CAVAC)
• Integrated university health and social services centres (CIUSSS):
  • CIUSSS West-Central Montreal
  • CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (french only)
  • CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (french only)
  • CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal (french only)
  • CIUSSS Montréal West Island
  • You can also contact your neighbourhood CLSC.
• Indemnisation des victimes d’actes criminels (IVAC)
• LigneParents (french only)
• General reference and information hotlines:
  • 211 Greater Montréal – Social and community services
  • Info-Social 811
• Helplines for young people:
  • Kids Help Phone
  • Tel-jeunes
• SUPPORT Line for Montreal families affected by armed violence

The public’s cooperation is crucial in the fight against armed violence.

Any information can be reported to 911, a neighbourhood police station or anonymously to Info-Crime Montréal. Information held by a citizen may be what is missing in an ongoing investigation.

1. Is Montréal a safe city?

Despite the difficult period we are going through with regard to armed violence, Montréal continues to be one of the safest cities in North America. As the metropolis of Québec, Montréal faces challenges that are not experienced to the same degree or do not exist elsewhere in the province.

In a metropolis such as Montréal, the most active criminals are often on the move. They do not stay confined to one place. To curb this mobile crime, the SPVM regularly works in close collaboration with its partners from other police forces.

2. What are the main causes for the phenomenon of armed violence?

There are multiple causes: culture of violence; glorifying firearms and trivializing firearm use; feeling of impunity; no fear of the human or legal consequences; wider accessibility to firearms; reactions to threats and intimidation, etc.

Crime today is more unpredictable and on the spur of the moment. It is often a response to a situation. The least thing can spark an escalation of violence and the desire for revenge. Some rivalries grow on social networks and then move on to the streets.

3. Is the SPVM inspired by what is being done elsewhere?

Yes. A metropolis like Montréal needs to stay up-to-date about what is being done in other cities in North America to reduce armed violence. The SPVM is inspired, among other things, by the main principles underlying the Glasgow model. This model treats the problem of armed violence as a public health issue on which all institutional and community players work together. The objective of this approach is to identify various risk factors and tackle them to have a positive influence on individuals’ life trajectories.

The SPVM also maintains close relations with several police services in Canada and abroad. This cooperation with other police forces is also useful to locate, arrest and return suspects who try to lie low outside Montréal after committing crimes there.

4. Some people advocate repression by the police whereas others state that emphasis should be placed on prevention. What is the SPVM’s view?

Armed violence is a social issue which the police cannot solve alone. Combating a culture of trivializing violence and firearms needs to be tackled as a shared responsibility, meaning with community and institutional partners. Prevention and repression are not in conflict with each other, they go hand in hand.

5. The SPVM has added urban security cameras to its network. Are they really useful in the fight against armed violence?

Briefly, it is important to remember that the improvement to the SPVM’s urban security camera network (french only) forms part of the many measures deployed to make neighbourhoods safer. This type of camera represents an additional tool in the fight against crime, in particular the fight against armed violence.

Images from the cameras can be viewed in real time and enable key information to be provided to our teams in the field in some situations. Images are saved and can be used in police investigations to arrest those responsible for criminal acts.

6. Finally, what should I do as a citizen if I have information?

The public’s cooperation is crucial in the fight against armed violence. No information is too small to share with the police when it comes to a specific event or dangerous individuals. You may have information that will be useful to our criminal investigation units. Any information can be reported to 911, a neighbourhood police station or anonymously to Info-Crime Montréal.

(french only)