The Government of Quebec is granting the sum of 1.35 million dollars for the deployment and coordination of the Prevention and Intervention on Observed Violence in the Territory (PIVOT) project. The city of Montreal will inject the sum of $513,000.
This was announced by the Minister of Public Security and head of the Estrie region, François Bonnardel, accompanied by Josefina Blanco, head of diversity, social inclusion, homeless people and universal accessibility before the executive committee of the city of Montreal. of Mr. Alain Vaillancourt, responsible for public safety in the executive committee of the city of Montreal, of Mr. Jacques Couillard, vice-president and general director of the Integrated Center for University Health and Social Services (CIUSSS) of the island of Montreal South Center and Mr. René-André Brisebois, speaker and researcher at the University Institute for Youth in Difficulties of the CIUSSS of the South-Central Island of Montreal.
Originated by the Montreal Strategic Urban Security Committee (CoSSUM), the PIVOT project combines prevention and repression and is based on an approach that has proven effective in Scotland and the United States. Its goal is to prevent gun violence in Montreal by intervening with people at risk of committing an act of violence to encourage them to choose another path. The actions implemented revolve around three inseparable axes, namely:
- positive support, specialized services and personalized solutions for those responsible for violent crimes;
- clear communication of the consequences of violence and rapid and safe application of the same in case of violation;
- a collective desire to end violence.
The University Institute for Young People in Difficulties (IUJD) of the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal will coordinate the project. You will work closely with interested communities to implement PIVOT while respecting local realities.
“Countering gun violence by supporting innovative projects like PIVOT is a priority for me and our government. I would like to thank all the partners who put it together. In addition to helping reduce gun violence in Montreal, it will promote better relations between police and the community. This approach, which has proven effective in other parts of the world, ensures a balance between prevention and repression. I am convinced of its effectiveness and its applicability in our metropolis. »
François Bonnardel, Minister of Public Security and minister responsible for the Estrie region
“I would like to welcome the creation of the PIVOT project, as well as the University Institute for Youth in Difficulties (IUJD), which is responsible for coordinating the project with partners. The Institute’s deep knowledge of the environment is a valuable asset to develop bonds of trust and create bridges with this marginalized population, especially young people. PIVOT will allow measures to be taken to prevent and combat gun violence in Montreal to ultimately help reduce the number of acts of violence and consequently increase the feeling of security. »
Lionel Carmant, Minister responsible for Social Services
“We are proud to contribute to the establishment of the PIVOT project, a new collaborative initiative between the health network, community organizations and the SPVM that combines prevention, mobilization and intervention. The aim is to support people most at risk of pursuing a criminal path and committing firearms violence with an adapted response. This new initiative will increase support and support services in areas affected by violence. By joining our efforts we can make a real difference to prevent violence in our living environments. »
Josefina Blanco, responsible for diversity, social inclusion, homeless people, universal accessibility, status of women, youth and seniors on the executive committee of the city of Montreal.
Reflexes:
- The CoSSUM, under the joint coordination of the Ministry of Public Security (MSP) and the city of Montreal, brings together key governmental and institutional actors in the field of armed violence in the metropolis. They are continually collaborating to act in concert to resolve this issue and will ensure that the managers of the organizations involved in the PIVOT project support its implementation and deployment.
- The PIVOT project is one of the initiatives financed through the measure “Continuing the fight against armed violence”, for which the 2023-2024 budget provides an amount of 50 million dollars.
- Funding for the PIVOT project amounts to more than $1.8 million over three years and is detailed below:
- The MSP grants a sum of $250,000 per year, destined for the IUJD that coordinates the project. Additionally, $200,000 per year is paid to equally support two community organizations: Équipe RDP and Un route pour tous.
- The City of Montreal grants a total of $220,000 per year to support the same two community organizations. The total amount invested by the city of Montreal is $513,000, taking into account funding for the last four months of 2023.
- The municipalities of Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles and Montréal-Nord were selected for the execution of this project since they have a vulnerability index and a significant concentration of events related to firearms. These neighborhoods were also identified due to the extensive mobilization of community partners in gun violence prevention efforts.
- The PIVOT project is part of the Quebec strategy to combat gun violence: CENTAURE. This acts at the same time in terms of prevention, repression and development of knowledge and skills. More than 113 million dollars are dedicated to this strategy for the years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 (respectively 60.2 million dollars invested and 52.9 million dollars planned).
Related link:
CENTAURE, Quebec’s strategy to combat armed violence
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