Two out of three Montrealers believe the city is less safe than it was five years ago, according to a survey by the Montreal Police Brotherhood.
The online poll was conducted by Léger Marketing and the Journal de Montréal obtained a copy.
The poll suggested that 75 per cent of respondents felt “very” or “reasonably” safe in Montrea,l but 65 per cent said their sense of security is lower than it was five years ago.
Two-thirds of respondents said they don’t feel safe in certain areas of the city, with Montreal North appearing at the top of the list.
Also, over 50 per cent of respondents believe that there is not enough police presence felt around the city.
Nearly 60 per cent said they think the metro system is less safe than it was five years ago, but only one out of four respondents claim they felt threatened while using the metro.
One third of respondents feel that Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante’s administration provides the police with sufficient resources, while 87 per cent said Quebec should do more to help homeless and vulnerable people.
The online poll surveyed 1,538 people living in Montreal between April 26 and May 15. It is not possible to calculate a margin of error on a sample drawn from a web panel, but by way of comparison, the maximum margin of error for a sample of 1,538 respondents is ± 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
According to the Montreal police (SPVM) annual report, crime increased by 11.5 per cent in 2023, compared to 2022.