Montreal's homelessness, addiction crises fuelling rise in safety complaints on the Metro

Social workers who intervene with people in the Montreal Metro who are intoxicated, experiencing homelessness or having a mental health episode say they are not surprised by a rise in security-related complaints to the city's public transit agency.

"There is a clear mental health crisis going on, especially the homeless population and even the population at large," said Jean-Luc, team leader for EMMIS, Montreal's mobile mediation and social intervention team.

Due to the sensitive nature of his work, CBC News has agreed to identify him only by his first name.

Following the pandemic, he said his team has noticed that everyone seems more "on edge."

"We see it every day, people fighting over the smallest things," said Jean-Luc.

"Sometimes our interventions are not even with the homeless," he added. 

"It could be a regular person just having a bad day and that happens to lead to a psychosocial crisis."

In 2023, there were 1,877 security-related complaints from customers who use Montreal's buses or Metros. Most of those complaints came from Metro users.

In May 2024 alone, EMMIS responded to 200 calls in the Metro.

Many of their interventions are with people who are experiencing homelessness and sleeping in the station. Due to their past behaviour, they've often been barred from shelters and have nowhere else to go, said Jean-Luc.

Flagrant alcohol and drug use is also common.

"It's not that there's more consumption of drugs, it's just that it's more public," said Jean-Luc. "Like it could be right here on the corner of Berri-UQAM. Someone could be using a needle or smoking crack."

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM)'s special constables, safety ambassadors and special intervention social workers carry the drug naloxone, which helps reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

In 2023, naloxone was administered 25 times, according to the STM. For the first half of 2024, it has already been used 24 times.