Montreal saw less crime overall in 2016
The Montreal police’s annual report shows a very slight decrease in crime in 2016 compared to the year before.
The report, which was presented on Wednesday, shows that overall, crime rates have gone down 1.2 per cent in the last year, and 21 per cent in the last five years.
The report highlights the number of homicides is at its lowest in 45 years, at 23 deaths.
“Despite all we see and all we hear, it’s a safe city,” said Anie Samson, president of the public security commission.
But not all crimes saw similar trends in the last year. The number of sexual assault cases have gone up by 14.5 per cent.
Philippe Pichet, director of the Montreal police, attributes this to more people reporting sexual assault, saying it doesn’t necessarily mean there are more assaults than in previous years.
He said this could be due in part to their awareness campaign in conjunction with the Société de transport de Montréal that encouraged people to report assaults.
Fraud is also up 13 per cent compared to 2015. Pichet said this was because of specific operations focusing on scams that targeted the elderly. From 2013 to 2016, the research and planning unit also worked with the Research Chair on Elder Abuse to create the Integrated Police Response for Abused Seniors. This, Pichet said, might have encouraged people to report suspicious activity.
Also included in the report is the purchasing of additional guns and electric shock weapons, the latter of which was encouraged by recommendations from Quebec coroner Luc Malouin. This doubled the number of Tasers in downtown stations from 26 to about 50.
Pichet explained this is so officers will have more access to tools that are not firearms in intervention scenarios much like Tuesday night’s, which resulted in the death of a man after he was shot by two officers.
Pichet said that in 77 per cent of cases, the Taser is not used on a person.