Category: Thematic Reports

ICPC releases a report on youth victimization and urban violence dynamics in Montréal

The International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC) is releasing Youth Victimization and Urban Violence Dynamics: An Integrated Analysis of Risk Factors, Contexts, and Prevention Practices in Montréal, a new report that provides an overview of victimization among youth aged 24 and under in the Montréal metropolitan area between 2018 and 2024, with particular attention to crimes against persons committed in public spaces.

The study adopts a socio-ecological approach, examining risk and protective factors associated with violence across multiple levels of analysis: individual, relational, community, and structural.

What the report highlights

  • Youth victimization in the Montréal metropolitan area evolves over the 2018–2024 period, with a particular focus on crimes against persons occurring in public spaces.
  • Risks are not evenly distributed; rather, they take shape through specific configurations linked to places, timeframes, and urban routines.
  • Exposure to violence is closely associated with differentiated social vulnerabilities, which influence the likelihood of victimization in certain contexts.
  • The analysis shows that victimization dynamics must be understood at the intersection of living environments, uses of public space, and social interactions.
  • The report also identifies protective factors and situates prevention practices, drawing in particular on international examples.

Prevention insights

By linking the analysis of crimes against persons, contexts of exposure, and social vulnerabilities, the report highlights localized risk configurations within Montréal’s public spaces. It underscores the importance of prevention approaches grounded in lived environments and informed by a nuanced understanding of urban and social dynamics.

Read the report (in French) >

For further information, please contact info@cipc-icpc.org.

ICPC releases a new report on the criminal exploitation of young people in a fragmented criminal ecosystem

The International Centre for the Prevention of Crime is releasing Trajectories Under Coercive Control: Understanding the Criminal Exploitation of Minors in a Fragmented Criminal Ecosystem Since 2018, a new report that examines recent shifts in youth criminal dynamics in Montréal and introduces an analytical framework centred on the criminal exploitation of young people.

A report structured in three parts

The report is organized into three complementary sections. The first examines the reconfiguration of organized crime in Montréal since 2018, with a focus on actors, structures, and contemporary dynamics. The second looks at youth trajectories and changing modes of involvement in criminalized networks. The third shifts the analytical framework from a Québec perspective in order to better capture the mechanisms of criminal exploitation affecting young people.

Drawing on a mixed-methods approach, the report encourages a move beyond reductive interpretations focused solely on the notion of “gangs” in order to better understand the dynamics of control, dependency, and instrumentalization that shape contemporary youth trajectories.

What the report highlights

  • The fragmentation of criminal structures is reshaping power relations and increasing some young people’s exposure to forms of criminal exploitation.
  • Central actors exert greater control over resources and decision-making, while minors occupy more vulnerable and interchangeable positions.
  • Modes of involvement are evolving, notably through the use of digital contracts, more diffuse pathways, and more unstable and instrumentalized forms of violence.
  • The report also examines phenomena such as fraud, vehicle theft, arms circulation, and changes in certain youth profiles.

Read the report (in French) >

For further information, please contact info@cipc-icpc.org.

Safety in Tramway Networks: An International Perspective to Inform Public Action 

Across the world, tramway networks face complex safety and insecurity-related issues that directly influence social acceptability, ridership, and the success of public transport projects. In this context, the ICPC publishes an international literature review offering a rigorous and comparative analysis of safety and crime prevention issues.

This International Literature Review on Safety Issues in Tramway Networks is based on an in-depth analysis of scientific research and practices observed internationally. It highlights that safety in tramway networks is not limited to recorded crime but is embedded in a broader set of conditions related to network organization, urban environments, and social interactions that shape users’ sense of insecurity. 

The report examines crimes against property, assaults, threats and harassment, as well as incivilities and social disorder, while emphasizing the central role of perceived safety in network use. It also proposes an analytical framework structured around three dimensions of urban transport safety (personal, organizational, and contextual) to better understand the dynamics shaping safety outcomes.

By documenting key contributions from international research, this review provides a reference analytical framework to better understand the mechanisms shaping actual safety and the sense of insecurity, and to inform public policy discussions and analyses related to prevention and governance in tramway networks.

This review is fully aligned with the ICPC’s mission to advance internationally comparable knowledge and support a shared understanding of safety and prevention issues in public transport.

Read the full report (in French) >

For additional information, contact info@cipc‑icpc.org.

Ahuntsic‑Cartierville: A Detailed Data‑Driven Crime Portrait (2018–2022)

The ICPC releases a new data‑driven portrait dedicated to the borough of Ahuntsic‑Cartierville, in Montréal. Based on police data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR 2.2) program, compiled by the ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec (Québec Ministry of Public Security), this report analyzes 18,272 documented criminal incidents between 2018 and 2022, of which 72% are property‑related crimes and 28% crimes against persons. 

The statistical portrait provides a detailed overview of crimes against persons and property. It describes their evolution, their distribution across lived environments, and the profiles of those involved. The analysis also highlights the importance of relational and private contexts, particularly in situations of violence committed against someone close to the victim. This spatial perspective identifies the areas with significant trends and clarifies the structuring role of private spaces in the occurrence of several forms of violence.

The portrait aims to support strategic reflections and decision‑making by municipal, institutional, and community actors engaged in urban safety, by providing robust, contextualized, and directly actionable data.

Read the full report (in French)

For additional information, contact info@cipc‑icpc.org.

Statistical Portrait of Crime in 2024 in the Greater Montréal Area

The ICPC is releasing a statistical portrait of crime in 2024 for the Greater Montréal Area. Based on verified police data from the ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec (Québec Ministry of Public Security) through the Uniform Crime Reporting Program (DUC 2.2), this document aims to inform and support decision‑making by municipal, community, and institutional stakeholders as they work to align policies and interventions with local territorial and social realities.

Produced with the support of the ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec (Québec Ministry of Public Security) and the City of Montréal, the report provides an assessment of crime against the person as well as property crime for the year 2024, and places these results within a multi‑year trend perspective covering 2018 to 2024.

This quantitative analysis focuses on crime against the person (offences that can cause death, sexual offences, assault, offences involving deprivation of liberty, threats, acts of violence, and offences related to procuring and the purchase of sexual services) as well as property crime (arson, breaking and entering, theft, possession of stolen goods, fraud, and mischief).

In 2024, the agglomeration recorded 85,710 criminal incidents, of which property crime accounted for 66% (56,159 incidents) and crime against the person for 34% (29,551 incidents). The corresponding rates were 28 per 1,000 inhabitants (property) and 14.7 per 1,000 (violent).

Several key findings can be drawn from the analysis:

  • Diverging trends. Since 2018, crime against the person has risen by 60.2%, with assault remaining the predominant category in 2024. In contrast, property crime increased overall during the period, with a marked increase of 34.7% between 2021 and 2023, followed by a 10.4% decrease in 2024 compared with 2023.
  • Spatial analysis. Certain sectors characterized by high urban mobility and a diversity of uses show higher rates. Interpreting these results requires a nuanced approach that incorporates daily movement patterns and the high level of activity generated by major transport hubs and leisure areas. In this context, and given the importance of mobility patterns, the relationship between population‑level risk factors and the number of recorded incidents in these sectors must be interpreted with care.
  • Living environments. The majority of crime against the person occurs in private spaces, with 47.7% of incidents recorded in these settings, including 38.8% primarily in dwelling units. In contrast, property crime is concentrated in open public spaces (44.7%), and 28.1% of incidents take place on public roadways.

Read the full report (in French)

For additional information, contact info@cipc‑icpc.org.

A Report to Better Understand Crime in Low-Rent Housing and Support Local Action

As part of a mandate entrusted by the City of Montréal, the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime has published the report État des lieux de la criminalité dans et aux alentours des HLM – agglomération de Montréal (Crime In and Around Low-Rent Housing (HLM) in the Greater Montréal Area). This work reflects a commitment by the city of Montréal to strengthen local analytical capacity in urban safety, while taking into account the social and territorial realities specific to low-income residential environments.

Between 2018 and 2022, more than 9,300 criminal cases were recorded within the perimeter of low-income housing units. While property crimes are the most frequent, crimes against persons increased by 38%, with women and seniors being particularly affected. These dynamics highlight the need for interventions tailored to social vulnerabilities, precarious living conditions, and relational contexts.

Conducted with the support of the ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec (Québec Ministry of Public Security), the report offers concrete recommendations to enhance community safety, improve social cohesion, and support public housing residents across the Montréal metropolitan area.

Read the full report (in French)

A Statistical Report of Crime in the Greater Montréal Area

The International Centre for the Prevention of Crime has published its report Statistical Report of Crime in the Greater Montréal Area, produced with the support of the ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec (Québec Ministry of Public Security) and the City of Montréal. This local safety assessment presents a detailed overview of reported offences between 2018 and 2022, based on data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR 2.2). 

More than 358,000 criminal cases were recorded, including a significant increase in property-related offences (+12%) and crimes against persons (+34%). Vehicle theft, fraud, sexual offences, and domestic violence are among the key issues identified. 

This report aims to equip public authorities and local partners with evidence-based insights for strategic urban safety planning. It offers practical recommendations to strengthen prevention efforts, enhance safety in public and residential spaces, and better support vulnerable populations.

Read the full report (in French)

New Report: Analysis of Crimes Related to the Non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Images in the Greater Montréal Area

The International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC) has published its report Analysis of Crimes Related to the Non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Images in the Greater Montréal Area. Conducted with the support of the ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec (Québec Ministry of Public Security) and the City of Montréal, this report is the first comprehensive study on this rapidly growing phenomenon in the Greater Montreal Area.

Based on police data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR 2.2) (2018–2022), the report highlights the gender-based dynamics of these offences, which primarily affect young women aged 12 to 30. It shows that these crimes often occur within intimate relationships and extend certain forms of domestic and relational violence into cyberspace. 

Commissioned by the City of Montréal, the ICPC puts forward concrete recommendations to strengthen prevention, victim support, and intersectoral collaboration. Moreover, this report serves as a strategic tool for policymakers, educational institutions, community organizations, and digital platforms.

Read the full report (in French)

A new report to document and prevent the victimization of women and girls in Montréal

The International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC) has released a new report entitled Vue d’ensemble de la victimisation des femmes et des filles dans l’agglomération de Montréal.

Drawing on police data from Québec’s Ministry of Public Security, the report highlights a troubling rise in the victimization of women and girls between 2018 and 2022, particularly assaults. It also sheds light on significant territorial and generational disparities, as well as the high prevalence of violence committed within close relational contexts.

To better guide public policy and local interventions, the report puts forward a series of strategic recommendations. These include developing safe and inclusive public spaces, strengthening support for victims in private settings, intensifying prevention efforts targeting adolescent girls, and improving gender-based data collection.

Produced by the ICPC in collaboration with the City of Montréal, this work aims to provide public authorities, researchers, and frontline stakeholders with tools to implement sustainable and tailored actions in the field of urban safety.

Read the full report (available in French only)

The ICPC published its local safety audit for the agglomeration of Longueuil

An increasing rate of crimes against the person was observed in the Longueuil agglomeration between 2018 and 2022. Also, over the same period, it was noted that young women were the most numerous victims of crime in private spaces, and that young people aged 12 to 17 accounted for the highest number of victims in schools. 

These examples of analyzed observations of crime in the agglomeration have encouraged the need to strengthen collaboration between the various local stakeholders, such as the police, public institutions and community organizations, to put in place coordinated and effective prevention measures. Through the Government of Canada’s Building Safer Communities Fund (BSCF), contributed in part to the Government of Quebec under an agreement, the City of Longueuil appointed the ICPC to support it in conducting a local safety audit. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of safety among youth in the Longueuil agglomeration and to encourage community participation in safety issues.  

Achieved through a collaborative approach favouring positive and sustainable transformation as well as through space syntax approach, the report provides a quantitative analysis based on police data provided by the Urban agglomeration of Longueuil Police Service. The report also presents a qualitative analysis, which was carried out in collaboration with local stakeholders, involving consultative activities with young people in the territory. Finally, the study features concrete recommendations and solutions, appropriate and adapted to local realities, to strengthen and create safer public spaces. 

The report is divided into 4 sections:  

  • An analytical framework, which lays the foundation for the study, addressing urban safety and the space syntax. It also points out the limitations of using police data and quantitative analysis;   
  • A portrait of crime in living spaces, which provides an overview of crime in the Longueuil agglomeration, detailing alleged perpetrators and victims by crime location, relationships between victims and perpetrators, and the temporality and geography of the crimes, etc.;  
  • The results of the on-site survey, such as risk factors and the feeling of safety in public spaces in the agglomeration, exploring issues relating to social cohabitation, the school environment, family life and parenting, cyber-violence, etc.;  
  • Conclusions and possible solutions, in collaboration with youths and local stakeholders, to improve safety, strengthen human and financial resources, coordinate organizational structures, and develop protection strategies for private and public spaces, such as schools and cyberspace.

Read the report here (available in French only)

Read the press release (available in French only)