Gang violence exploding in Quebec

Street gang crime has increased 69% in Quebec over the past three years, in contrast to a year-over-year decline in overall crime across the province, provincial data revealed. The data were released at the same time crime experts have told QMI Agency to expect even more gang violence after the recent assassinations of high-profile street gang members in Montreal. Crime attributed to gangs increased almost 11% in Quebec between 2010 and 2011, and 69% since 2009. The report by the province's public security ministry noted that Quebec's various police corps registered 100 more law violations attributed to gangs compared with 2010. The majority of the gang crimes were related to probation violations, drug possession and assault. Crime in general, however, declined in 2011 by 6% compared with 2010 and has been on the decline since 2006, according to the government. Crimes against people declined in 2011 by just under 2% compared to 2010, and crimes against property declined during the same period by just over 8%. One statistic of note is the province's homicide rate, which contradicts the overall downward trend in crime. Homicides in Quebec jumped by 20 murders - or over 20% - between 2010 and 2011. The report noted that the 2011 homicide stats reflected an increase of people killing members of their own family, the victims of which are often children. Cases of murdered children aged 17 years or under more than doubled, from six in 2010 to 14 a year later. The government noted that since 2008, police have attributed 20 murders in Montreal to street gangs. One street gang-related murder that did not figure into the 2011 statistics was the assassination of reputed street-gang kingpin "Big" Chenier Dupuy, 37, who was killed on Aug. 10 in Montreal. A top street gang member told QMI Agency it was a "matter of time" before Dupuy's death is avenged. Street gang activity represented 0.4% of all crimes reported by Quebec police forces in 2011. In Montreal, street gangs accounted for 1.6% of the total reported criminality in 2009, the last year for which the city's police force released data.

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