Montreal sees spike in violent crimes in 2022: police report – Montreal | 24CA News
There has been a marked bounce within the variety of crimes towards people on Montreal police territory between 2017 and final yr, in response to the service’s 2022 annual report launched Friday.
“This crime category increased by nine per cent between 2021 and 2022, and by 21 per cent over the last five years,” defined Insp. David Shane throughout a press briefing.
Included in that class are homicides, which have been 41 final yr in comparison with 37 in 2021; and firearm infractions which numbered 563 in 2022 versus 516 the earlier yr.
Reported hate crimes numbered 212 in 2022 versus 194 in 2021, with most having to do with ethnicity or pores and skin color.
According to Shane, the development mirrors different jurisdictions in North America and could possibly be a fallout of the pandemic.
Property crimes additionally went up by 13 per cent in 2022 in comparison with the typical for 2017 to 2021, after a dip throughout the pandemic lockdown. The overwhelming majority have been motorized vehicle thefts which confirmed an enormous bounce. In 2022 there 9,583 stolen autos reported, up from 6,527 the yr prior.
Shane stated the spike in automotive thefts is being seen worldwide, largely as a result of provide chain points and the scarcity of recent automobiles.
“Theft for resale on foreign markets has therefore become a much more attractive business for criminal networks,” he stated.
The report suggests, nevertheless, that there are some encouraging indicators.
Police brass word that regardless of the bounce in crimes towards people in 2022, the overwhelming majority have been easy assaults that resulted in little or no harm, and that the variety of tried murders final yr dropped.
Also, though weapons have been utilized in half the homicides in 2022, the variety of crimes wherein weapons have been discharged, fell. Shane stated that development is continuous so for this yr.
Alain Vaillancourt, the City of Montreal govt committee member chargeable for public safety, believes these reductions are steps in the appropriate route.
“It’s not a victory by any means,” he stated, “but it’s an encouraging sign that shows that some of the things that we’ve put in place are helpful.”
Community teams admit that extra cops are wanted, however are calling for extra emphasis on prevention.
“(It’s) the social and economic indicators related to crime, related to violence, that we all should be talking about,” stated Fo Niemi, head of the civil rights group, Center for Research-Action on Race Relations.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
