The Ville-Marie borough in central Montreal will deploy private security guards in certain neighborhoods as part of a pilot project aimed at combating the rise in drugs and other criminal activities.

These guards will patrol three high-crime neighborhoods to observe activities such as drug dealing, drug use, incivility and harassment. But rather than intervene directly, they will share their observations with the police and the city’s social intervention teams.

This comes as merchants, residents and visitors to areas like the Village and Chinatown continue to raise safety concerns.

The $120,000 pilot project will place Sirco private security guards in these areas, as well as in Old Montreal. Officers will work in uniform and in plain clothes.

“There is a lot of pressure on the Ville-Marie borough — a significant presence of criminal activity — and it is important for us to add another tool,” said Robert Beaudry, Ville-Marie municipal councilor.

The level of crime has increased since the pandemic, he said, and the city must act. Police have done what they can and there have been some improvements, but more tools are needed, he added.

Complaints in these neighborhoods have made headlines in recent years. Last year, a group of business owners and longtime Chinatown residents said they wanted the city and police to develop a crime prevention plan with the community after the neighborhood experienced a increase in the number of crimes. violence and vandalism.

Also last year, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante announced a village revitalization plan that included adding 40 police officers to the area and extending the opening hours of mobile social workers so that they can provide care to the vulnerable population in the neighborhood. 24 hours a day.

This announcement comes after several merchants on Ste-Catherine Street decided to close their terraces for safety reasons.

People are already observing and reporting, resident says

Since the pandemic, people who live and work in the village said there has been an influx of people hanging out on the streets, often suffering from drug addiction and mental illness.

But observing and reporting crimes is something residents already do, according to Phil Chu, president of the Chinatown Residents Association.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t witness a drug transaction or someone smoking crack,” he said. “It’s normal now, unfortunately.”

He said they would accept any help they could, “but it seems a little redundant.”

Guardsmen will also keep an eye on homeless encampments, with the goal of connecting unhoused people to available city resources.

James Hughes, president of the Old Brewery Mission, supports the project which could potentially improve safety, but stresses it should avoid targeting the homeless population.

“Even if there are infractions of the regulations, such as loitering or living in public spaces, these should not be treated as criminal activities,” he said.

The project will continue until mid-December, after which the district will evaluate its effectiveness.

The Montreal suburbs already have security guards

Some suburbs of Montreal already have their own security agents and rely on patrols from the City of Montreal Police Department (SPVM).

For example, the Westmount public security department enforces municipal by-laws, provides support services to the Montreal fire department and patrols the municipality 24 hours a day.

All Westmount officers are trained in advanced first aid, CPR and the use of a defibrillator.

They are also equipped and trained to use an extendable police baton, as well as pressure point tactics, according to Westmount’s website.

Hampstead, the Town of Mount Royal and Côte Saint-Luc have similar departments. Côte Saint-Luc also has a program called Volunteer Citizens on Patrol (vCOP) which has existed since 2006. In this case, volunteers patrol the city to observe and report any suspicious activity or problems.