Three hunts over three days in Laval, including two in the sunshine in front of the children. These are the latest events in a city where crime is on the rise and young people seem to be more targeted. The City says it understands and shares the concerns of the community and parents, and it takes matters into its own hands.
We are still collecting information, our police are on the ground, they are very visibleSandra Desmeules, head of public security in Laval, immediately confirmed to the program microphone All one morning.
There are ongoing investigations and information that we cannot provide, but we can say it has something to do with the street gang war.
What street gangs? Sandra Desmeules does not have this information, but she knows some young people are affiliated with these organized criminal groups.
” Recruitment happens at a very young age, along with glorification with guns. And that is very worrying. “
On Sunday, in the first shooting, a 28-year-old man died after being hit by projectiles. Five people, including a 14 -year -old boy, were in the vehicle loaded with ammunition. The young man was seriously injured.
On Monday, a 15-year-old boy was shot while walking on the sidewalk.
On Tuesday, a 33-year-old man was shot in the legs in the middle of the afternoon. But two girls were playing just outside the stage before running out, according to surveillance video released by The Press.
From reaction to avoidance
These young people are the targets of Ville de Laval in its strategy to combat the rise of violence in its territory. Sandra Desmeules, on the spot for nearly nine years, explained that there are three axes to this approach: the short term, the medium term and the long term.
In a short time, following three shootings this week, Laval stepped up the visibility of police in the field. They patrol the neighborhood to prevent new violent events, but also to gather information on events of the previous day. They will also meet the two girls who witnessed the scene on Tuesday.
” If you have information or have witnessed, we invite you to contact the police. It is completely confidential and it helps us a lot. “
In the medium term, Laval wants to invest in its police force. There are already 15 new positions created for collect information, arrest these individuals and get into criminal prosecutionexplained Sandra Desmeules.
In the longer term, the City wants to do prevention for young people, especially in schools, where it wants to prevent them from dropping out. As long as they pick up, that’s when they switch to the criminal sidehe concludes.
Source: Radio-Canada
