Montreal is one of North America’s safest cities, but feelings of insecurity are on the rise

Montreal saw 31 homicides last year — a rate the SPVM says is the lowest among major North American cities.

Montreal has become one of the safest cities in North America, but residents’ sense of insecurity is growing, according to police.

On Tuesday, the Montreal Police Service (SPVM) made public its results for 2025 and its priorities for 2026. Police Chief Fady Dagher suggested that Montrealers’ fears reflect the impact of homelessness more than crime.

“I admit that, yes, in public spaces, we are noticing that the feeling of insecurity is not just a perception, it is on the rise,” Dagher told journalists, explaining this increase in insecurity in particular by the fact that people are more likely to encounter individuals struggling with mental health issues or in crisis on the street or on public transportation.

“That’s true. It’s happening. But when we look at our statistics and events, frankly, in terms of facts, things are much, much better. (...) Four years ago, there were shootings in Montreal almost every two or three days. Now we hardly have any,” he said.

Dagher adds that the polarization of discourse everywhere, whether in politics — where talk of rising crime fuels certain populist rhetoric — or the constant coverage of criminal events, contributes to increased insecurity.

And yet, the data is encouraging.

The number of incidents of armed violence has fallen by more than half in the SPVM’s jurisdiction, from 214 in 2021 to 103 in 2025. Recent statistics show a homicide rate of 1.16 per 100,000 inhabitants in Greater Montreal, which includes Laval and Longueuil.

“We are the large city with the lowest homicide rate in North America, Canada and the United States. So when we say that the city of Montreal is safe, these are not empty words. 1.16 is remarkable,” he said, recalling that Montreal was at the bottom of the list some 40 years ago.

The pressure of homelessness

Nevertheless, the rise in homelessness puts a lot of pressure on police officers, he said.

“It’s a problem for the police, but it’s not a policing problem,” Dagher said, while welcoming the increasing involvement of resources such as social workers, psychiatrists, and other health-care professionals with his officers in the field.

“It gives us a helping hand, especially in terms of mental health. We don’t have all the tools; we’re not necessarily social workers or street workers, psychologists, or therapists, and we don’t want to be either,” said the police chief.

There is, he says, “a great deal of mobilization with what the city is putting in place, and the health community as well. That’s why we asked to have the psychiatric community with us on the streets. This is a phenomenon that is not about to end, but if we can find well-established housing, social housing, and especially services in social housing that will follow up afterwards, I think we will get there, but it will take a few more years.”

He repeated that “it’s a heavy burden for the SPVM. It’s not easy, it’s really not easy.”

New technologies, young people, and drones

Among other data released by the police force’s headquarters, 25 of the 31 murders that occurred in its territory in 2025 were solved, a success rate of over 80 per cent. Eight other murders that occurred in previous years were also solved, including one dating back to 2008, thanks to new technologies available to investigators.

This led David Bertrand, Deputy Director of Specialized Services, to say that “the perpetrators of murders and other violent crimes should be aware that if they are not arrested immediately, we will eventually identify them using our investigative tools and techniques. Sooner or later, they will be held accountable for their actions before the courts.”

However, the SPVM said it cannot rest on its laurels.

The deputy director emphasized a new reality in crime.

“What we are currently seeing is a decrease in the age of young people who are taking action. When I say ‘taking action,’ I don’t necessarily mean on the ground. Sometimes it’s behind their screens, of course,” he said, referring to 14-year-olds who act as middlemen. Some entrust orders for criminal acts collected online to other young people.

Police say that action must now be taken upstream, with young people as young as nine or 10, at the elementary school level.

The SPVM now uses drones not only to search for missing persons, but also to monitor motorists.

“We have also started using drones in targeted operations. From the air, they can detect offenses such as failure to obey traffic signals, using a cell phone while driving, and blocking traffic,” said Bertrand.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French Feb. 10, 2026.

Pierre Saint-Arnaud, The Canadian Press