Tag: report

Our local safety audit for the borough of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension highlighted in the news

As part of our local safety audit for the Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension borough in Montreal (Canada), we invite you to listen to an interview broadcast on Radio-Canada’s “Tout un matin” programme focusing  on many problems and safety obstacles that women and elders may face on a daily basis in this borough.   

This evaluation is an integral part of a programme aimed at improving the well-being of women exposed to various forms of violence, by increasing their sense of safety. In this context, suggestions and proposals for actions aimed at strengthening their sense of safety, which could be implemented, were developed.  

Listen to the interview (from 0:00 to 1:50)

More information about our local safety audit 

The ICPC mandated to carry out a local safety audit in Pakua Shipi

Through the Ministry of Public Safety’s Municipal Support Programme, which provides funding to municipal organizations with populations of less than 100,000 in the province of Quebec, the ICPC has been mandated to carry out a local safety audit for the community of Pakua Shipi. This initiative, supported by the provincial government, aims to strengthen community safety and prevent crime through a range of preventive measures.  

A small Innu community on the Lower North Shore with a population of 350, Pakua Shipi’s geographical isolation makes it difficult to provide access to quality public services. This leads to challenges in hiring and retaining personnel and consequently impacts the socio-economic conditions of the population. What’s more, various historical events linked to colonization have resulted in the transmission of traumas down the generations, from which many social and economic issues arise.

In this context, the ICPC’s expertise in carrying out a local safety audit is an essential first step in assessing safety and violence issues in the community, before putting in place long-term solutions and an action plan for the community. 

This project was carried out in 2022 and completed in 2023.

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

In Montreal today, one issue is causing concern: gun-related violence. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, a troubling trend seems to be emerging: an increase in incidents involving firearms in the heart of the city, with the majority of victims under the age of 25. This growing concern has led the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime to carry out an in-depth study to fully grasp the phenomenon and understand its players, thanks to the financial support of the Quebec Ministry of Public Security.    

By examining these events, the ICPC aims to provide essential elements for a better understanding of this complex reality and to find ways of dealing with it.   

Analyzing incidents involving a firearm from 2015 to 2020, which represent more than 924 criminal cases recorded by the Montreal City Police Service, the primary aim of this report is to shed light on the context in which firearms are used in the Greater Montreal area, based on the criminal offence codes used.   

The report is therefore as follows: 

    • A detailed analysis of general trends in the form of figures.   
    • A profile of the alleged perpetrators and victims, as well as the links between them, and the places and times of the incidents.  
    • A discussion and relevant recommendations. 

    Read the report here (only available in French)

ICPC publishes its local safety audit on girls, women and elders for the Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension borough

Various types of violence affect girls, women and elders. To name only one, it was revealed that up to 78% of women have undergone an act of cyberviolence from their partner or from a former partner and that 47% of younger women, of which 75% were adolescents, had undergone acts of cyberviolence during an intimate relationship in the last year (Gauvreau, 2022; Fernet et al., 2019).

The Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension borough, in Montreal, has mandated the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime (ICPC) to illustrate the state of safety on its territory. A larger focus was put on incidents involving girls and women of all ages. The objective was to target the main issues, as much qualitative as quantitative, to issue recommendations regarding initiatives that could be put in place to better the situation.

This audit presents the issue in many different ways depending on the targeted age group, be it adolescents (12-17), young women (18-25), adult women (24-64) and elders (65 and over), as well as recommendations for action and prevention. Issues include sexual, psychological and interpersonal violence, as well as cyber-violence and abuse.

The LSA is in line with the plan announced by VSP in 2022, which made women’s safety a priority for the borough.

Media coverage (in French only) :

  • October 11, 2023, Tout un matin, Radio-Canada : Rattrapage du mercredi 11 oct. 2023 : Évacuations des Canadiens et Canadiennes en Israël, et conversion d’une église en chambre froide.  Listen to the interview (from 0:00 to 1:50)
  • October 10, 2023, Le 15-18, Radio-Canada : Des activités réservées aux filles dans Saint-Michel. Listen to the interview 
  • July 24 2023, Journal Métro : Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension: 3 M$ pour soutenir les jeunes et les femmes. Read the article
  • July 6 2023, EST Médias : VSP finance des projets pour les jeunes et leurs parents. Read the article 
  • June 23 2023, Le Journal de Montréal : Violence faite aux femmes: un rapport accablant rendu public. Read the article  
  • June 23 2023, Le Journal de Québec : Violence faite aux femmes: un rapport accablant rendu public. Read the article
  • June 22 2023, 98,5 : Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension. Le sentiment d’insécurité chez les femmes. Listen to the interview 

Read the report here (synthesized version in French)

Read the report here (complete version in French)

The ICPC published its second report on violence committed and suffered by young people in the Greater Montreal area

 

In 2022, several acts of violence involving young victims and alleged perpetrators were committed in the cities and boroughs of Greater Montreal. Young adults aged between 18 and 25 represent the majority of victims, but all age groups (11 and under and 12 to 17) are concerned.

It is in this context, and in light of a growing concern among Montrealers about feelings of insecurity, that this report offers an in-depth analysis of the various acts of violence involving young people in Montreal in recent years, highlighting the key factors that have influenced these situations, in particular the COVID-19 pandemic, cyber-violence, and gun violence. Its main objective is to draw up a detailed assessment of the current situation and to make recommendations for the prevention of violence experienced and perpetrated by youth in the city.

This report focuses on four main themes:

  • A descriptive analysis of the crimes against the person between 2015 and 2019
  • Analysis of the living spaces frequented by youth
  • Cybercrime
  • Issues related to criminal acts involving firearms, edged weapons, and improvised weapons as well as young people

Read the report here (available in French only)

ICPC has published a review of the literature and practices for the prevention of armed violence

Gun violence is on the rise in the Montreal metropolitan area, but also throughout Quebec (Larin 2022), and cold weapon violence is still common. However, several tragic events involving firearms have compelled the Quebec government to invest in the fight against this type of violence.

This review of literature and practice is part of these efforts to better understand the phenomenon of armed violence. It also seeks to share knowledge and experiences from measures put in place around the world to curb violence. However, armed violence is a complex phenomenon that involves more than one issue. Therefore, it is important to adopt the appropriate prevention strategies depending on the context in which armed violence is addressed in order to intervene in a comprehensive and targeted manner.

This report presents four issues that may result in weapon-related acts: 

  • Suicide and self-inflicted violence;
  • Armed violence among delinquent or criminalized youth groups;
  • Intimate partner violence;
  • Incidents related to violent extremism.

This report provides insight and understanding of crime data collected under the Quebec Department of Public Safety's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR 2.2) rules from 2015 to 2020.  

Read the report here (in French)

Presentation of two reports to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the City of Montreal has experienced a sharp increase in certain firearm-related crimes, most of which involve young people. This issue, which must be addressed through a multi-sectoral approach and which must benefit from a concerted vision, is of particular concern to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). The SPVM, therefore, contacted the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime in order to develop its integrated plan to combat gun violence and improve its practices.

On October 27th, ICPC was invited to present highlights of two recently published reports addressing different issues related to gun violence, the first one focusing on the glorification of firearms on social media and the second one on the prevention of gun violence.

This meeting was an opportunity for the team to share best practices from the literature, but also to exchange with 14 members of the SPVM’s internal committee of experts on the issue of the rise of gun-related violence in Montreal, on the initiatives to be implemented at the community level as well as on social media in order to prevent such violence.  

Thank you to the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal for the invitation.