There have been fewer homicides in Montreal last year compared to 2022, but overall the number of crimes has increased by 12 per cent, noted the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) while presenting its annual report Monday afternoon.
Homicides went down from 42 in 2022 to 31 in 2023. The number of assaults, however, has been steadily increasing since 2021, going up from 15,818 in 2022 to 17,934 in 2023.
So far, there have been 17 homicides in territory covered by Montreal police since the beginning of the year.
“The number of armed violence incidents decreased by 26 per cent. This is a positive result, but we remain fully aware of the importance of continuing our efforts on several fronts in 2024,” said Montreal police Chief Fady Dagher. “We still have great challenges in front of us.”
Among those is the rise in property crime of which simple and motor vehicle theft account for the largest proportion. Vehicle theft has increased “significantly” in 2023, said SPVM deputy director Cédric Couture, adding that the SPVM, on average, located 17 stolen vehicles per day last year.
“This phenomenon which has been on the rise since 2022 could be explained by the economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and a shortage of new vehicles and vehicle parts,” said Couture.
Over 11,700 vehicles were reported stolen in 2023 compared to 9,583 in 2022.
Hate crimes have also gone up. Montrealers reported 353 hate crimes and 171 hate incidents in 2023. Most of these targeted a person’s ethnicity, national origin, skin colour or religion.
“This is a record,” said Dagher.
Sexual orientation, identity or gender expression was the third-highest motivation for hate crimes, accounting for 15 per cent of the hate crimes reported.
In its new strategic plan for the upcoming two years, the SPVM is looking at three main goals: to gain citizen’s trust, to reassure the population and be feared by criminal groups.
It also aims to improve the accountability of its different units.