SPL annual report | Crime is taking up more and more space, in Laval as in Montreal

As in Montreal and Quebec, crime continues to gain ground in Laval. The number of events linked to a “disturbed mental state” has also doubled over the past 10 years in the third city of the province. Focus on the highlights of the annual report of the Laval Police Service (SPL), made public this Wednesday.

Crimes, insecurity

The organization claims to have recorded more than 18,690 criminal offenses last year, a jump of 10% compared to 2022 which also marks a peak in this area over the last five years. Of these, there were nearly 4,000 crimes against the person, an increase of 7% and a record in 10 years, a phenomenon mainly propelled by the increase in assaults, but also cases of harassment and even extortion. The 8,665 crimes against property mark a brand new high and an increase of 14% in just one year. The most detected crimes are arson (141), fraud (1738) and theft (3668). All of this causes the feeling of insecurity to increase: in 2023, 268,840 calls were made to 911, an increase of almost 20%.

Fewer killings and gun violence

As in most cities in Greater Montreal, including the metropolis, armed violence is decreasing in Laval. Last year there were 52 incidents involving a firearm, while this figure had reached 63 and 70 the two years before. The number of people arrested for this type of crime is also lower, with 30 in 2023, compared to 46 in 2022 and 38 in 2021. There are half as many firearm discharges, or barely fifteen. However, the Laval police seized the same number of weapons as two years ago, i.e. 57. In total, 9 people were victims of murder in Laval last year, including the two children hit by a bus in a daycare in February, compared to 12 in 2022, which was the deadliest year in five years.

The ever-present mental health issue

Having become a reality of police work, mental health issues were detected in approximately 2,820 cases last year in Laval, which marks a peak and an increase of 12% in one year. Since the pre-pandemic period, in 2019, events concerning individuals with “disturbed mental states”, according to the Laval police, have exploded and jumped by 47%. Compared to 2014, the increase is even more impressive, at 87%. In short, in ten years, their number has almost doubled. “The pandemic may have had effects on the mental health of individuals, which could result in the opening of event reports in the longer term,” the report reads.

More accidents on the roads

Meanwhile, on the roads, Laval police patrol officers responded to a total of 4,675 collision or accident scenes, compared to 4,050 in 2022. As in several other regions of Quebec, this figure follows an increasing trend. increasing for several years now. In fact, the last time more road accidents were recorded in Laval was in 2019, with 5,128. Good news, however: the number of fatal accidents has declined in the municipality, passing from 15 to 10 between 2022 and 2023. A sign that police surveillance is very active, the number of criminal offenses linked to automobile traffic is also increasing.

A summit in domestic violence

Around 1,325 people were victims of domestic violence in Laval last year, an increase of almost 10%. This is in addition to a 14% increase in “sexual offences”, which can range from misconduct to assault and even rape. This type of crime is also one of those which is currently increasing most rapidly among all crimes against the person. So far, in 2024, seven women have already been killed in Quebec in a context of domestic violence. In four months, there have already been as many suspected feminicides as in all of 2023.