Montreal's police chief says gun crime is down 26 percent in 2023

Gun crime has dropped in Montreal, and the police chief says support from community organizations has played a big role.

Looking back on his first full year as Montreal police chief, Fadi Daguerre says progress has been made.

“We're glad we didn't have a very harsh summer,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday.

According to the force, gun violence has fallen by 26 per cent compared to 2022, with police making 351 firearm-related arrests. Officers also seized 774 guns.

“In all types of crime, to be honest, things have gone down a little bit, but I want to be very careful with the data, because you can tell the data what you want, and I said to the team – and we all agree – let's be really vigilant. In 2024,” said Dagher.

In hiring, the Montreal police force will hire 362 new officers in 2023, 20 percent of whom are from diverse communities. Also new from last year, recruits now spend five weeks meeting with community groups to learn about the people they serve and going through an immersion training program.

“This exposure for new police officers will stay with them for the rest of their careers,” Deputy Police Chief Vincent Richer said.

Regaining public trust in the department is one of Dagher's priorities in his second year in office.

“It's a way to get closer to the community and understand the complexity of the community, and also the community understands our work because it's a complex work for us as well,” Dagher said.

The strategy won praise from the mayor.

“It's all about participation, being open and inclusive. These are the values ​​that SPVM has, but they are ready to show it more by being on the field,” said Mayor Valerie Plante.

After a spike in hate crimes in the fall, Daguerre says the numbers have dropped since the new year. What keeps him up at night is the threat of lone wolf extremists.

Daguerre is cautiously optimistic about the state of crime in Montreal, but says his officers must be vigilant to maintain the progress made in 2023.