Crime plan in ‘a matter of days’
Vice-premier Ian Lafrenière answers Quebec Solidaire MNA Manon Massé’s question about Kanesatake at the National Assembly last week. Courtesy National Assembly
A long-awaited provincial action plan to confront a surge of organized crime preying on Indigenous communities like Kanesatake is expected to be announced within two weeks, while something specific to the community is also in the works, The Pines Reporter has learned.
Quebec vice-premier Ian Lafrenière reiterated to The Pines Reporter this week that he has been hearing the same complaints from Kanehsata’kehró:non that Quebec Solidaire MNA Manon Massé brought up at the National Assembly last week.
Massé told the chamber about trucks again dumping dubious soils, music blaring, gunshots day and night, and other issues the community faces, before asking when the robust action plan on organized crime would materialize.
“There have been numerous people calling me, reaching out to me, asking to do something about it, and we’re going on the right path,” said Lafrenière, the longtime minister of Indigenous affairs and now also the minister of Public Security in the province.
“Unfortunately, there is a presence of criminality and organized crime in Kanesatake, but I see a lot of people rising up, stating that this is enough. So, it’s a matter of days now that we’ll be ready to announce something for the whole province, not just for Kanesatake, but the whole province. But specifically for Kanesatake, I’m working on something else also. Yes, the timing is good now.”
Lafrenière is a former police officer who has been vocal for years of his concerns about organized crime and political instability in Kanesatake furnishing ideal conditions for bad actors to thrive.
“Let’s be honest, for everyone, it’s tough now to do anything because of the political instability. It’s tough for us. It’s easier for organized crime because they feel that instability, and they’re taking that open door to do their criminal stuff. This is an opportunity for them.”
He told The Pines Reporter in February that a robust action plan applicable to Indigenous communities across the province was coming soon.
The plan promises to build on legislation announced last fall and passed in April that, among other things, banned the display of logos of organized crime groups like the Hell’s Angels.
He said he is optimistic that the time is right to take action to bring a sense of security back to Kanesatake.
“People, they’re fed up with having shots fired at night, all those criminal activities. People are fed up because you can put a lot of police officers, but we won’t be able to do anything if it is without the community. Now I feel the community is ready for that. They want to see some actions,” he said.
“We need to bring back some form of security for the benefit of all the residents because, you know what, people want to have kids, they want to do what every family does normally.
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“Now, because of fear, because of everything taking place, they’re scared now, so we need to take action. That’s the reason why we’ve been trying different things, and I’m quite confident for the future now.”
Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
