Montreal Chinatown residents still worried about crime, drug use

The people of Montreal's Chinatown are once again asking for help, saying there is still crime and disorder in the neighbourhood.

They say they want police and all levels of government to do more to keep them safe.

"What makes me sad is that, am I living in an era where it's normal that, when I'm walking my daughter, that she should say 'hi' to the crack dealers on the way to her daycare?" asks resident Phil Chu. "Is that the new norm that we're going to be living with?"

Last fall, residents asked for a heavier police presence in the area.

Montreal police (SPVM) obliged, adopting a strategy to increase patrols in Chinatown.

Now, merchants and residents say they want to see all levels of government get involved against what they call a rise in open drug use and criminal activity.

"For the issue about homelessness and drug using, we need those partnerships with all the levels of governments, and we need infrastructure to get services to those people," said Robert Beaudry, a city councillor for the borough of Ville-Marie. "The situation is complex. There's not only one kind of vulnerability."

Chinatown residents say they will continue to advocate for measures to both prevent and crack down on potential crime.