On February 21st, 2023, the ICPC met with the Association of Police Directors of Quebec (ADPQ) to present its ongoing projects and services. The meeting provided an opportunity to explore possibilities for collaboration in order to expand the range of services offered and support municipalities in Quebec, as well as to work with a greater number of police services in the province’s urban centers. The meeting strengthened the relationship between the ICPC and the ADPQ, and opened up new avenues for collaboration to better meet the security needs of the population.
The ICPC at the 2023 World Police Summit in Dubai
It is with great pride that our General Director, Ann Champoux, has accepted the invitation to participate in the World Police Summit 2023 in Dubaï, which will take place from March 7 to 9. We are grateful for this opportunity to speak about ICPC’s expertise in crime prevention. On March 7, she will take part in a discussion on “Challenges Facing Crime Detection and Prevention Systems: A Roadmap for the Future”.
The 2nd edition of the World Police Summit, organized by the Dubai Police, offers a high-level platform to discuss the pressing priorities facing police forces and law enforcement agencies considering evolving forms of criminal activity, the increasing availability and accessibility of sophisticated technologies, and shifting criminal motivations.
For more information on the World Police Summit: https://www.worldpolicesummit.com/
Practice review – Community policing policies
Espoir 18 in Montreal
Since 2019, the ICPC and the Parisian association Espoir 18 have been working closely together on a project on improving police-population dialogue, with a particular focus on youth and minority groups in their relationship with the police institution. The aim of this project was to document inspiring experiences and practices on both sides of the Atlantic, but also to promote the transfer of knowledge and establish collaborations around this theme.
Espoir 18 is an association that works for the integration and socialization of more than 2,000 young people between the ages of 6 and 30 in certain working-class neighborhoods of Paris, through cultural, artistic, and sports activities. As part of its mission to support success and prevent delinquency, the association is involved in the deployment of a variety of reference initiatives, ranging from the creation of artistic projects to the organization of international mobility trips.
As part of this collaboration, a team from Espoir 18, consisting of around thirty people, including twenty young people from the association, was in Montreal from 8 to 12 July 2022. This mission was part of a North American tour, notably in Washington and New York, of two reference theatrical performances, Bad Mama and Lettres à Nour, after a year of touring in French cities.
We are very glad to have welcomed them to Montreal.
The plays address multiple issues, concerns, aspirations, and realities that contemporary youth go through, especially in certain disadvantaged territories: daily life, radicalization that can lead to violence, identity issues, relationships between generations and with institutions, as well as other subjects. Moreover, Bad Mama is a co-development project, which started in 2019, between young people and youth workers, directed by Farid Abdelkrim, and performed by the theatrical troupe of “Z’improbables” (a troupe of Espoir 18). This artistic initiative became a way for the group to learn to express themselves on sometimes complex subjects. As for Lettres à Nour, it is a play adapted from Rachid Benzine’s novel and directed by him, performed by Farid Abdelkrim and Céline Dély, which aims to deconstruct the ideology of Daech and challenge the certainties of the spectators.
For the first evening of theatre, which took place on Saturday 9 July at the Union Française de Montréal in Downtown Montreal, nearly 40 people were present to see the plays. The audience also had the opportunity to discuss with the group after the performances.
On Monday, July 11, Espoir 18 and the ICPC were hosted in Montreal North by the organizations Parole d’excluEs and Hoodstock for a visit to the Pelletier homes, the Parole d’excluEs’ offices, and to the place de l’Espoir. These visits allowed the group to exchange with local stakeholders and to learn more about the realities of the neighborhood.
In the evening, the second theatrical performance took place at Espace 7000 in Montreal North, welcoming nearly 75 people. The audience also had the opportunity to discuss with the group the issues raised by the plays, the background of these plays, and the impact that this type of engagement has had on the young people since the beginning of the process.
Thank you to all the participants who attended the events.
ICPC presents the Soirées théâtres d’Espoir 18
Since 2019, the ICPC and Espoir 18 have been working closely together in a project on improving of police-population dialogue, with a special attention on the young public and minority groups in their relationship with the police institution. The aim of this project is to document the inspiring experiences and practices on both sides of the Atlantic, but also to promote the transfer of knowledge and promote the transfer of knowledge and to establish the collaborations around this theme.
As part of their collaboration, Espoir 18 is organizing a North American mobility tour in the summer of 2022, including a visit to New York and Washington, with the local support of the French Embassy. The mobile team, made up of around thirty people, including twenty young people from the association, will also visit Montreal from July 8 to the 12, 2022.
The ICPC is delighted to be able to welcome them in Montreal.
After a year of touring in cities in France, Espoir 18 will perform this summer in Quebec and the United States with two North American landmark theatrical performances:
– Bad Mama – Directed by Farid Abdelkrim, performed by the “Z’improbables” troupe
– Lettres à Nour – Adapted from the novel by Rachid Benzine and directed by him, performed by Farid Abdelkrim and Céline Dély
The theatrical evenings will address the multiple issues and aspirations of contemporary youth, particularly in certain disadvantaged areas: daily life, radicalisation that can lead to violence, questions of identity, the relationship between generations and with institutions, and other topics.
We invite you to attend the presentation of one of these plays during these theatrical events that will be held free of charge on the following dates :
Saturday, July 9, 2022 at 6 pm at the Union Française in Downtown, Montreal (Rougier Room).
Presentation of Bad Mama and Lettres à Nour, followed by a discussion with the audience.
Monday, July 11, 2022 at 6pm, at Espace 7000 in Montreal-North (Désilets room), in collaboration with Parole d’excluEs.
Presentation of Bad Mama and Lettres à Nour, followed by a discussion with the public.
The ICPC took part in the second day of the Forum on the fight against gun violence
On March 31, 2022, the ICPC was pleased to attend the second day of the Forum montréalais pour la lutte contre la violence armée : s’unir pour la jeunesse (Montreal Forum on Combating Gun Violence: Uniting for Youth), organized by the SPVM and the City of Montreal. The objectives of this forum were to:
- Promote communication between institutional and community partners working with Montreal youth;
- Identify levers to encourage collaboration and find concrete solutions, taking into account the mission and expertise of each partner;
- Develop a concerted Montreal model that mobilizes all stakeholders.
During the day, strategic partners presented themselves in order to establish common commitments to counter the phenomenon of gun violence. The influence of social media and the need to share information were also discussed during the event.
“The fight against gun violence requires a global response”, emphasized the SPVM. ” Therefore, we must all contribute, each in our own way, according to our respective roles, missions, and expertise. We all have a responsibility to make commitments that will bring about change for Montreal’s youth.”
For more information: https://sync-stream.tv/spvm_forum/
The ICPC invited to an SPVM meeting in Saint-Michel
On November 30th, the ICPC had the pleasure of attending a presentation of the strategic plan for fighting gun violence and of the Équipe de concertation communautaire et de rapprochement (Team for Community Dialogue and the Development of Closer Ties – ECCR) given by the Service de police de la ville de Montréal (City of Montreal Police Department – SPVM), an ICPC partner, in collaboration with the neighbourhood station #30 of the Saint-Michel neighbourhood.
Concerning gun violence, the SPVM presented the current situation in Montreal and the main directions taken by the strategic plan for fighting gun violence. In particular, the SPVM highlighted the importance of collaborating with the community when it comes to the prevention of gun violence.
This meeting with the community was also an opportunity to meet the new ECCR that has been deployed since April 2021 in many areas of Montreal. This unit aims to connect with citizens and community organizations to find common and sustainable solutions to current or emerging issues around social cohabitation and urban safety.
The event was also an opportunity to introduce several local initiatives in which the neighbourhood station #30 is involved, in particular, those aiming to develop closer ties with the community, especially with youth.
The ICPC participates in an SPVM workshop on police intervention policy
On Tuesday September 28th, the ICPC took part in a workshop lead by the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (Montreal police department, SPVM) on police intervention policy. Adopted in July 2020, the Politique sur les interpellations policières marks an important cultural turning point and provides a framework for the organization’s intervention practices. The SPVM is the first police force in Quebec to implement such a policy.
Among the issues discussed at the workshop, a focus was put on the following themes:
- The difference between social interactions, interventions, police stops, custody for questioning, and arrests;
- Legal issues related to various police practices;
- The application context for and the issues related to the newly implemented intervention form.
This workshop aimed to demystify police intervention practices and to educate the public on the practical implications of the new policy in the SPVM. We thank the SPVM and the Borough of Saint-Léonard for inviting us to take part in this workshop and to exchange with local actors.