Calls to Montreal police returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2022, violent crime, carjackings up

A new report released today by the Montreal police service paints a mixed portrait of crime in the city in 2022.

While the number of calls to Montreal police increased by 13 per cent over the previous five-year average — figures similar to those observed before the pandemic — the report shows that carjackings and violent crimes jumped last year.

According to the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM), the number of homicides rose slightly to 41 in 2022, from 37 the previous year, and the total number of crime against people — which includes attempted murders and sexual assaults — climbed by more than 20 percent over the five-year-average.

On Friday, Montreal police Insp. David Shane said though the increase of crime targeting people is worrisome, most cases were assaults in which the victim sustained few or no injuries. 

"The increase we're seeing in Montreal is part of an upward trend that has been observed in Canada and Quebec for several years," said Shane.

"It's difficult to pinpoint the causes of the increase. It's possible that the pandemic made people more irritable and tensions degenerated into more conflicts. It's also possible police are called in more often to settle disputes rather than [people] trying to resolve them themselves."

Shane said armed violence "contributed significantly" to violent crime in 2022, with firearms being a major factor. He also said the reopening of venues and resumption of nightlife may also have contributed to the rise. 

At the same time, attempted murders decreased by nearly 15 per cent compared to the average of the last five years and by almost 30 per cent compared to 2021, the report says.

Criminologist Maria Mourani told CBC access to handguns has played a critical part in the uptick of violence. So have gangs, she says.

"The main reason is the conflicts inside criminal groups. It's the majority of homicides, in general. For the last three years, it's been the same problem," she said. 

However, for Mourani, there is reason to be optimistic about the sexual assault numbers, which dipped slightly in 2022 compared to the previous year but have increased by over 12 per cent compared to the five-year average.

"People are less afraid to report them. We estimate that only six per cent of sex crimes are really reported," she said, adding that education campaigns and improved relations with police may have contributed to the increase in calls. 

Other offences like property crime and fraud in the report have returned to pre-pandemic levels, but the number of car thefts nearly doubled compared to 2017. 

"The COVID-19-pandemic caused major disruptions to automotive manufacturer production lines, new vehicles have become rarer on the market, [and] theft for resale on foreign markets has therefore become a more attractive business for criminal markets," said Shane.