Police officers of station 16 remain vigilant.
It’s a constant battle against street gangs in Verdun
Conscious that society is changing and that criminal behaviour is evolving, police chief Pierre Cadieux, from police station 16, is adapting to new challenges and always has his ear on the ground to keep up with any proliferation of street gang activities in Verdun.
The arrest, this past June, of ten teenagers, 13 to 17 years of age, non-residents of Verdun, who were accused of various crimes, such as armed robbery and assault, as well as the arrest of two teenagers who caused damages on cars parked on Beurling Street is an indication of police vigilance. More recently, some graffiti artists were caught in the act at Centre Champlain. Even if their actions are not specifically connected to street gang activities, station 16 patrol officers remain vigilant, because they know that a street gang (Crazy Ass Delinquents) has established itself in Verdun and they are known to police for the sale of drugs.
Thanks to some recent media reports in newspapers and on TV, Verdunites can see that their territory is vulnerable to criminal activity and juvenile gangs. With this in mind, police chief Cadieux and his team are following all suspicious activity closely and are monitoring those who identify themselves as part of a gang and dress a certain way. At station 16, police officers are aware that teenagers from neighbouring Pointe Saint-Charles are keeping an eye on Verdun and the sale of drugs, prostitution, taxing and intimidation seem to be this group’s trademarks.
Well informed police
Members of street gangs recognize each other from the clothes and markings they have on them. They identify their territory by graffiti signs and sometimes by placing a pair of running shoes over telephone wires, over a street.
Constant struggle against street gangs
Experts in the Youth Intervention Section document all signs of street gangs. They take photos and document when a specific sign appears on the street, creating a history of sorts. For example, without wanting to connect everyone to gangs, we know that there are about 15 active prostitutes in Verdun, a phenomenon that’s increasing.
Chief Cadieux is very pleased with the excellent collaboration he’s received from school administrators, as well as how vigilant the borough has been in chasing down graffiti and removing it.
During the interview, Chief Cadieux showed the Messager information documents that have been sent to all police chiefs, providing a better look into the social and cultural reality of Montreal. In 2005, the Service de Police de Montréal (SPM) registered 137,791 crimes on the island of Montreal, 44% of the offenses were against property. Crime has been decreasing in the past few years, but new forms of crime, like bank fraud, identity theft, etc. are making their appearance.
Much more rare, yet highly publicized in the media, home invasions are always something that grab the police’s attention. The end of motorcycle gangs with the arrest of a number of the leaders in 2001, has in effect simply modified the strategy for these underground organizations. Some street gangs have infiltrated some of this territory, to the extent that today, according to Chief Cadieux, some of them have their own sources of drugs.
According to the chief, we should not be abolishing neighborhood stations, but we should be adapting services to the specific needs of an area. When we think of downtown Montreal, we should question whether a station is truly necessary in an area where there are more passersby than actual residents?
In conclusion, Chief Cadieux reassures the population and urges residents not to immediately assume that the teenagers they come across on the streets are members of a gang simply because they’re wearing baggy pants.
Météo: Montréal, 22 mai 2008 / 12°C
/ Faible averse de pluie
/ Vents: 9 Km/h / Humidité relative: 67 % 
par Pierre Lussier 
Steven Guilbeault - 
