The City of Montreal is investing $1.4 million to support the boroughs of Montreal-Nord, Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles, Saint-Leonard, and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension.
According to the city, the money will help community organizations to develop projects aimed at urban safety and improving the quality of life of the populations living in these neighbourhoods that have grappled with gun violence in the past few months.
The total will be split between community groups in each of the four boroughs. Montreal-Nord and Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles will recieve $400,000. Saint-Leonard and Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension are expected to get $200,000 and an additional $200,000 will be dedicated to inter-borough collaborative initiatives to prevent crime.
Équipe RDP executive director Pierreson Vaval said they are expecting to receive a portion of the money, supporting the community group’s efforts to keep youth out of crime. He said the funds will allow for more focus on what he calls the source of the problem, youth aged 16-30.
“It’s an age group that here in Quebec we don’t put on resources because we take for granted that when a youth is on his way to be an adult, that he is fit for the community,” he said.
Get breaking National news
He said it’s often the age group when youth who don’t feel like they fit into society turn to crime.
“It’s another challenge when you’re a young Black man, or immigrant, you need to have help you need to have support to be able to bear that challenge and succeed and take your place in the community.”
- Daughter of woman who Edmonton police say was victim of intimate partner homicide calls for change
- B.C. woman banned from midwifery charged in infant’s death
- ‘A horror film’: Eyewitness describes fatal stabbing of 16-year-old outside Halifax mall
- Man used AI to plan fatal Cybertruck explosion in Las Vegas: police
Referring to community groups as the key to reducing violent crimes and reconnecting with the population, Liberal MNA Paule Robitaille is calling for the provincial government to step in.
“To attack the problem to the core we need community groups and right now our community groups are not well funded and they don’t have the means to fight as they should the problems coming back in the east of Montreal.”
Vaval said more is always appreciated.
“We know what to do and we’re here, we know the community, we know the kids the problem is we don’t have enough people, enough hands, enough energy, enough equipment.”
Comments