Surete du Quebec partnering with Montreal police to combat gun trafficking after deadly shooting

Montreal -

Quebec's public safety minister announced a new collaboration between the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) and Montreal police to fight gun trafficking following a triple homicide on the island on Monday. 

Geneviève Guilbault made the announcement at a news conference in Montreal Wednesday morning alongside the city's mayor and other public officials in a showing of solidarity in the fight against gun violence that has risen in recent weeeks. 

The minister said an "integrated team" of SQ and Montreal police officers will work together on a permanent basis to combat gun trafficking in the city. Guilbault said more details about the new collaboration will be revealed at a later date. 

"The fact that we'll be joining forces with Sûreté du Quebec will enable us to recuperate some resources and re-inject them on the fight against armed violence in the streets of Montreal," said Montreal police chief Sylvain Caron at the announcement. He was joined by Mayor Valérie Plante, Minister Guilbault, as well as the Director General of the SQ, Johanne Beausoleil, for the announcement.

The news conferrence follows Monday’s deadly shooting that claimed the lives of three men and injured two others in the east end borough of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles. A volley of bullets were shot towards the group of five men at an apartment building at 9301 Perras Blvd., near 54th Avenue.

Insp. David Shane confirmed Wednesday it was a drive-by shooting, but he did not share any more details, including the type of guns that were involved or the motive behind the shooting. 

In response to the violence, community members in RDP have said more policing is not the solution to gun and gang violence because they fear it will lead to animosity among marginalized communities. 

Shane acknowledged the gun violence plaguing certain neighbourhoods is "a society problem that needs a global approach," but added that it's difficult to treat it as just a societal issue when there is violence on the streets. 

"We're working on different fronts," Shane said.

"So we're conducting investigations, we're visible on the streets with uniformed personnel to reassure people, and to deter any reaction or vengeance in these groups, but we're also working with the community neighbourhood stations with the community organizations."

The triple homicide during daylight hours on Monday drew widespread condemnation from public officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said on Twitter "the rise in gun violence in Montreal over the past few weeks is disturbing — and it must stop."

Minister Guilbault also expressed her condolences to the victims of Monday's shooting. 

"We understand that people are worried right now, that people who live in those places material are worried right now," she said. "This is a worrying situation, because this is not the first tragic event that occurs in the last weeks."

She said the province will also develop a committee with offficials from public safety and the city for a crime prevention strategy to combat other types of crimes.