WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS IMAGES THAT MAY BE DISTURBING
Opinion by: Roger-Luc Chayer (Image: AI – Gay Globe)
The Gay Village in Montreal has been suffering from social neglect for several years, which has not only destroyed the reputation of what was once known as the most beautiful gay village in the world but also affected part of its economy, forcing merchants and residents to coexist with individuals facing severe, invasive, and frankly degrading social issues.
One situation that is increasingly noticeable from the authorities—both police officers, cadets, and elected officials—is a tendency to try to befriend drug addicts and psychopaths rather than repress illegal acts and disorder. This observation is frequently noted by several observers, including myself!
About two weeks ago, while driving on Alexandre-de-Sève Street in the Village, I noticed a pile of around 15 to 25 filled garbage bags. It seemed that an apartment had been emptied and its contents thrown away. The issue was that there was an individual, clearly drugged or mentally ill, systematically tearing apart all the bags to examine their contents, filling the sidewalk with thousands of debris reaching about one meter high in some places. The sight was repulsive, and of course, since we were only a few steps away from Ste-Catherine Street, everyone could see the carnage and once again observe the state the Village has fallen into.
Homeless person sleeping in front of several businesses on Ste-Catherine Street East, August 18, 2024 – Source wishing to remain anonymous
When I arrived at the red light on Ste-Catherine Street, I saw four police cadets calmly chatting. I signaled to them, explained the situation happening just behind us, and asked if it would be wise to intervene with the individual. They went to approach the person.
Unable to find a place to park my vehicle, I drove around the block and returned to the same spot to see the four cadets laughing and having fun with the individual. One cadet even allowed the guy to put a plastic crown on her head that he had found in the trash. Rather than intervening for the well-being of the public and stopping an act with significant consequences for the community, the cadets were playing with the guy, as if they were afraid to intervene, afraid of provoking his anger or a crisis, or afraid of doing their job to the point of preferring to befriend a psychopath rather than enforce the law. Outrageous! Could the authorities responsible for enforcing the law and ensuring safety and order be suffering from a form of Stockholm syndrome?
Group of drug users occupying the front of several businesses on Ste-Catherine Street East with their trash, August 17, 2024 – Source wishing to remain anonymous
What is Stockholm Syndrome?
Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon where a hostage, victim, or law enforcement officer develops feelings of sympathy, attachment, or even love for individuals who commit crimes or kidnappings. This often occurs when they spend a lot of time together, and the officer, for example, begins to identify human qualities in the criminal, creating a paradoxical emotional bond despite the dangerous situation.
It is possible for police officers to develop a form of Stockholm Syndrome towards criminals, especially if they experience constant or intense fear of these criminals. Although Stockholm Syndrome is more commonly associated with hostages, the dynamics of power and control can also manifest in situations where police officers, for various reasons, begin to sympathize with or identify with criminals, perhaps to alleviate their own fear or create an illusion of control in a perceived dangerous situation.
Repression, empathy, or Stockholm Syndrome: would the results be the same?
Merchants, residents, visitors, and passersby are unanimous in lamenting the social and economic state of Montreal’s Gay Village. It is clear that the disaffection of merchants towards this once-mythical place is not due to the condition of the streets or parks, but rather to the consequences of activities by groups of people left to their own devices, in such misery that it negatively impacts this part of downtown Montreal. Yet, this situation falls under the responsibility of Mayor Valérie Plante, who is also the mayor of the Ville-Marie borough.
There is also unanimity among the local population that the current cohabitation measures are not working and will never work if we do not take charge of these vulnerable individuals and get them out of their current state, whether through mediation or repression. Almost everyone I speak to about the situation in the Village, with a few exceptions, desires stricter repression, which would help restore confidence in commercial and residential investors and somewhat revitalize the Village. But people no longer want to waste time; the years have proven that the current measures are ineffective, let’s move on quickly!
The Village, who does it ultimately belong to: the elected officials, the homeless and other social cases, or the residents and merchants? The elected officials have demonstrated their powerlessness in the face of the current situation. We move past the homeless and other struggling individuals, who clearly disregard the Village, to get to the true owners of this neighborhood: the people who live there, do business there, and frequent it. Municipal elections are approaching in Montreal in 2025. Would it not be time to clean house at City Hall if we cannot do it on the streets?
Fecal waste and other debris behind several businesses on Ste-Catherine Street East daily, August 18, 2024 – Source wishing to remain anonymous