Quebec government allocates $4 million CAD to fight violence in schools
Montreal police are creating a new unit.
Police in Montreal, Quebec, have created a specialized unit that will focus on schools to combat gun violence, the city hall announced Sept. 15.
The Équipe-école is a new police unit designed to combat youth violence. The uniformed officers will be joined by cybercrime specialists who will work to create prevention programs on various online platforms.
The creation of the Équipe-école was one of the commitments the police department made after a forum devoted to finding solutions to the growing problem of gun violence.
In a statement Thursday, the unit's goals were described as implementing "preventive measures in schools and having support staff ... especially in areas affected by gun violence."
The work in Montreal's schools will be "multidisciplinary. Alain Vallancourt, head of security for the city executive, explains:
"For example, if a school sees a problem, young people joining gangs or being violent, it can call the school team, which will come in, diagnose what's going on and develop an action plan."
He insists that the work will be done on a collaborative and voluntary basis, both with parents, principals, and the students themselves.
The unit will also provide street-level support to local community groups to help young people with violent behavior or those at risk of committing or being victims of violence.
The Quebec government is committing just over $4 million CAD to the project over the next three years, and the City of Montreal is contributing $400,000 CAD.
