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Montreal police crackdown on gangs reflected in fewer murders

Article online since June 19th 2008, 23:00
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MONTREAL - A five-year Montreal police strategy against street gangs is bearing fruit with fewer homicides and attempted murders, police said Friday.

Mario Plante, in charge of specialized investigations for the Montreal police, said there had been five gang-related slayings between January and mid-June this year while there were 11 in the same period in 2007.

As well, there were 17 attempted murders involving gang members in the first six months of 2008 compared with 34 in 2007.

Plante said the number of gangs in Montreal is stable. He said there are now about 20 gangs with between 350 and 500 members.

Montreal police said they have assigned 46 additional officers to fight street gangs thanks to an additional $3.75 million in federal and provincial funding and have undertaken 124 anti-gang investigations.

There have been 138 raids since January resulting in the seizure of 81 guns linked to street gangs, Plante said.

Also present at the news conference was Pascal Fleury, a former player with the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team who now teaches school.

He encouraged young people to develop a passion in life in such things as sports or arts and called on people to provide positive role models for youth to keep them out of gangs.

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