Quebec amps up policing on gun violence but frontline workers want more support

After a drive-by shooting left three men dead and two injured in Rivire-des-Praires this week, Quebec's public security minister has announced that provincial police will join a special Montreal police squad to fight gun violence.

Genevive Guilbaultsaysthe Service de police de la Ville de Montral(SPVM) and theSret du Qubec (SQ) will work together in the ELTAanti-gun squad. The goal isco-ordinate prevention efforts,investigate shootings and preventgun trafficking.

"I want to assure all citizens, all Montrealers, all Quebecers that we're taking action," Guilbault said.

The news is meant to reassure Montrealers,but community workers in Rivire-des-Prairiessay providingoptions to youth would be more effective than a police crackdown on guns and gangs.

Guilbaultsays she knows a broad approach is needed. Officials from her ministry will meet regularly with their counterparts in Montreal to build a plan that will also include community groups and social workers.

Preventing further violence also requries initiatives to address inequality among young people, Guilbault said.

Community groups say more copsisn'tthe answer

Pierreson Vaval, director of a non-profit group called quipe RDP, works withyoung people in the neighbourhood where Monday's shooting took place.

He sayshis organization is trying to address the root of the problemby organizing social and recreational activities for young people, but it needs more funding and more co-operationfrom the community.

"All our youth workers are saying the same thing since last year," he said. "They see the kids, the youth are marginalized..."

Vaval says his youth workers need community support, and that everyone, "the police, the schools, the politicians...need to listen" and to provide more resources.

Xanya Boncy, an intervention worker and mediator for Hoodstock in Montral-Nord, says the last year of lockdowns and curfewshas made life even tougher for youth.

"We've seen during the pandemic, a rise in mental health issues and evenviolence."

Boncysays she wantsthe government to lay out a clear plan of action to limit access to guns: "And I didn't hear that today."

While she agrees that everyone deserves to feel safe, Boncy sayshaving more officers on the street doesn't necessarily provide a sense of security for those living in Black and marginalized communities.

"There's a lot of tension not only in the gangsbut also there's a lot of tension with the police," she said.

Boncy says it's important to acknowledgethat racism and racial profiling persist, and thatwhilesocial workers might not be able toreplace police entirely,they canplay a crucial rolein preventing violence and resolving conflict.

"We need to work in way where we can prevent people from getting into gangs and prevent people from getting access toguns more than to react to that."

WATCH | Montreal Mayor Valrie Plante on the need for a community approach:

Montreal mayor says police need to work with community organizations to reduce gun violence

3 years ago

Duration 2:04

Valrie Plante said collaboration between these groups can help address systemic issues facing marginalized people.

The police plan

Police chief SylvainCaronsaysgoing forward there will betwo full-timeteamscovering the northeast and southwest parts of Montreal.

He says officers willinvestigate firearmpossession,attempted murders and other related offences as part of the SPVM's organized crime section.

Mayor Valrie Plante applauded the efforts of local police and the SQ as well as the initiative of Guilbaultto expand Quebec's efforts to crack down on gun crimes.

She also called on the federal government to step up its security at provincial and international borders,saying that a lot of the guns that make their way the city come from Ontario and the United States.