Surete du Quebec partnering with Montreal police to combat gun trafficking after deadly shooting
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.