Street gangs: 10 homicides, 764 arrests and 117 searches

Out of a total of 17 murders since the beginning of 2007, 10 of them were connected to street gangs. Four have been solved and six are on their way to being solved. There were 29 attempted murders and 35 assaults with a weapon that took place on Montreal territory.

The Montreal Police department presented an overview of the past five months, regarding street gangs. A number of police operations have taken place. Most are related to the trafficking and sale of drugs. In the first five months, the police arrested 764 suspects, 128 arrests involved minors (boys and girls). There were 117 searches inside homes, businesses or cars, which led to the seizure or discovery of 47 firearms, as well as drugs and money.

The LaSalle borough hasn't escaped this phenomenon, with two murders in the month of February. On February 8, a 24-year-old man was shot in the head, while in his car, parked between rental buildings on Place Stirling. Two suspects were apprehended. On February 25, right in the middle of the street, at the corner of Jeannette and Riverview, a 27-year-old man was fatally wounded.

The police met with more than 45,000 youngsters, 7,600 parents or adults, 1,945 school staff members and 1,471 community organizers and workers during the first five months to raise awareness about the problem of street gangs.