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SPVM releases update on 2023 priorities and strategic orientations for 2024-2026

Feb. 13, 2024, Montreal, Que. – The director of the Montreal City Police Service (SPVM), Fady Dagher, has reported the advancement of the Service’s major priorities over the past year and the strategic orientations for 2024-2026.

Recruitment

The SPVM is experiencing growth in its workforce for the first time in five years. The SPVM hired 362 police officers in 2023, including 50 retirees, while the initial objective was 310 hires.

At the end of 2023, the SPVM workforce stood at 4,580 compared to 4,489 in 2022, which represents a net increase of 91 police officers. Note that nearly one candidate in five comes from diversity, thus contributing to better representation of police personnel in the Montreal community.

The year 2023 was marked by the deployment of the new police integration program. This program has three components, including Immersion MTL. For five weeks, partners welcome these recruits, without uniforms and without weapons, so that they can live their reality within their organization, in their community.

Reconciliation with all populations

The SPVM has carried out numerous consultations with communities over the past year to optimize its service offering and solidify its security networks with its local partners to sustain its relationships with all populations.

In 2023, police and civilian personnel have redoubled their efforts in prevention and rapprochement with populations by working in close collaboration with partners. For example, socio-community agents carried out more than 10,500 activities which made it possible to directly reach nearly 360,000 citizens.

In addition, the SPVM works in concert with the City of Montreal in the application of a new prevention and intervention model adapted to all types of issues. 

Fight against gun violence

A 26 per cent reduction in armed violence events, i.e. firearm discharges, murders and attempted murder by firearm, was observed in 2023 compared to the year 2022.

The various SPVM units made 351 arrests in connection with events involving firearms in 2023. A total of 774 firearms were also seized.

The multidisciplinary school intervention team (EMIE), deployed in January 2023, made it possible to meet more than 6,000 young people from primary and secondary schools.

The observed drop in armed violence events in the metropolis is explained in particular by the work of SPVM units carried out in terms of police visibility, criminal investigations, prevention and intelligence. In 2023, the SPVM also evolved their strategy in the fight against armed violence by setting up collectives and relying on the strategy of targeted deterrence.

Strategic orientations 2024-2026

After a year of reflection and consultations with all police and civilian personnel as well as numerous external partners and citizens, three strategic orientations have been established and will guide SPVM actions over the next three years:

• Earn the trust of the population, of all the populations of Montreal;
• Be reassuring to the population and feared by the criminal world;
• Fully regain the capacity to act.

“It takes an entire team and committed partners to tackle three major priorities head-on and obtain such convincing results in terms of recruitment, rapprochement with all populations and the fight against armed violence in a single year. We remain fully aware of the challenges ahead and the efforts to continue, while remaining optimistic that together we can achieve great things,” said Fady Dagher.