Category: Press Release

The ICPC published a report on current youth recruitment strategies by criminal gangs

Today, despite the massive use of social networks, which can lead young girls and boys to gravitate more and more towards delinquency networks, we also know that poor acquaintances, the need for recognition, poverty and the lack of opportunities for young people to engage in legitimate activities are determining factors in the enrolment of young people in criminal activities.    

This growing scourge has led the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime to conduct an in-depth study with the purpose of fully understanding the phenomenon, the issues involved in recruiting young people, and the stakeholders directly or indirectly involved. The Quebec Ministry of Public Security has therefore mandated the ICPC, through its Montreal Urban Safety Lab in 2022, to collect data aimed at updating our knowledge of the realities on the ground in order to better prevent the recruitment of young people by criminal gangs.  

The final objective of this report is to provide crucial information for a better understanding of this phenomenon and to formulate recommendations for improving the safety of living environments in the area most affected, sucha as the city of Laval, a Quebec city located on the outskirts of Montreal. According to the Laval police’s 2021 activity report, the number of crime-related increased by 14% between 2020 and 2021, including a significant number of firearms-related incidents (42) in 2021.    

 

 

The report is presented in 3 sections:   

1. A framework for analyzing the phenomenon and the specific characteristics of criminal gangs, as well as the risk and protective factors associated with their entry.  

2. The socio-spatial context of the study, highlighting the specific sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and sociocontextual characteristics of the territory concerned, i.e. the Chomedey district of Laval.  

3. A third section divided into five sub-sections:  

  • A few definitions to define the subject of the study;  
  • Risk factors associated with gang affiliation;  
  • The role and recruitment of women and girls in these networks;  
  • The growing importance of social networks in the process of joining criminal gangs;  
  • An assessment of the current intervention system to identify possible solutions put forward by stakeholders to prevent or reduce the risk of young people joining criminal gangs.  

Read the report here (available in French only) 

Read the press release (available in French only) 

The ICPC unveiled its report on the analysis of criminal incidents involving the use of a firearm in the Greater Montreal area

In response to the growing concern about firearms incidents in Montreal, the ICPC is proud to announce the publication of its report on the analysis of criminal incidents involving the use of a firearm in the Greater Montreal area.  

This report, made possible with the financial support of the Quebec Ministry of Public Security, highlights the context in which firearms are used in the Greater Montreal area, based on the criminal offence codes used.  

Read the press release  

Press Release: The ICPC commits to combating human trafficking in Canada

A FIRST NATION-WIDE TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION COMPETITION TO COMBAT HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN CANADA IS LAUNCHED

The ICPC, in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Fundación Pasos Libres and IBM, are proud to announce the launch of “DataJam Against Exploitation”, the country’s first of its kind online innovation competition aimed at developing technological solutions to identify and combat human trafficking in Canada, particularly among youth as well as Indigenous and LGBTQI+ communities. This competition is funded by the Government of Canada.

Read the press release: Press release (April 2021)